Sausage, Apple, and Fennel Corn Bread Dressing

Prepare the corn bread up to two days ahead.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• Corn bread:
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4  cup  yellow cornmeal
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  fat-free milk
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 
  Stuffing:
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 6  ounces  lean, low-sodium smoked turkey sausage, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2  cups  finely chopped onion
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 1/2  cups  diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
• 1/2  cup  diced celery
• 1/2  cup  diced fennel bulb
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried rubbed sage
• 1/4  teaspoon  poultry seasoning
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare corn bread, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, canola oil, and 1 egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

To prepare stuffing, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion and bay leaf; cook 8 minutes or until onion starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Add apple, celery, and fennel; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.

Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Add sausage mixture to bowl; toss to combine. Add broth and 2 eggs; toss to combine. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until top is crisp and golden brown.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

212 (31% from fat)

Fat:

7.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:

9.2g

Carbohydrate:

26.9g

Fiber:

1.7g

Cholesterol:

79mg

Iron:

1.8mg

Sodium:

458mg

Calcium:

83mg