This festive chestnut stuffing with sausage is made with homemade cornbread croutons and filled with mushrooms, fennel, cranberries and fresh winter herbs. A wonderful addition to your holiday table!
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
Place 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee into a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, fennel and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Add the mushrooms and fresh herbs to the skillet. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until mushrooms soften and release their moisture. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the sausage to the pan, removing from the casing if not using ground sausage and cook until browned, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks.
Finally, add the chestnuts and cranberries to the skillet, toss to combine and cook another 3 minutes until warmed through. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the stock to the bowl and toss to combine with the stuffing mixture.
Gently fold in the toasted cornbread cubes with the stuffing mixture until incorporated.
Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and edges are crispy.
Garnish with additional fresh herbs and serve warm.