SAUSAGE ARTICHOKE TOMATO STUFFING

Note: Make the cornbread the night before if possible

• 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing discarded
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 jar Cara Mia marinated artichokes, large pieces cut in half
• 1 jar Cara Mia sun dried tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup Pernod (optional)
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• 1 recipe (above) of cubed corn bread

Make CORN BREAD

• Preheat oven to 425°F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan or a cast iron pan
• In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, egg, and butter then pour into to cornmeal mixture, stirring to combine.
• Pour batter into pan, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let corn bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes then flip it onto a rack to cool completely.
• Cut cornbread into small ½” squares and leave out uncovered for a few hours, up to at least 3 hours or overnight. This is made to be intentionally dry as it will soak up a lot of the moisture from the sausage.

Make STUFFING   

• In a cast iron or heavy sauté pan, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. With a slotted spoon, place sausage to a large bowl, leaving fat in the pan.
• Add butter to the pan and sauté onions, fennel seeds, thyme, and tarragon and cook, stirring, until most liquid is evaporated, and onions are caramelized and golden brown. Add mixture to sausage and combine thoroughly. Add cornbread and Pernot and combine gently.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Stuffing may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.