CLASSIC CORNBREAD STUFFING

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
8-10 cups dried bread cubes
1 9-inch pan cornbread (from a mix or your favorite recipe)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3-4 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon dry rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons ground sage
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Crumble cornbread into a large bowl with dried bread; set aside.  In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onion, shallot, garlic, celery, thyme, rosemary and sage and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Pour butter and vegetables over bread mixture and stir gently.  Stir in 2 cups of broth and mix well.  Taste and adjust seasonings before stirring in beaten eggs.  Add additional broth as desired for moistness.  Stir in parsley.  Spoon stuffing into a large casserole dish or 9x13 baking dish. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, or until stuffing is lightly browned.

Let's Dish
This is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner!  My mom used to start saving bread ends well before Thanksgiving so she'd have plenty for the stuffing.  I usually end up just cubing a loaf of bread and toasting it in the oven.  To make things easier, I whip up a pan of cornbread using a Jiffy mix.  If I'm feeling extra industrious I'll make a pan of Homesteader Cornbread from scratch.  There are a thousand recipes and methods for making stuffing, but this is the recipe I learned to make by watching and helping my mom in the kitchen. I'm probably biased, but of all the versions I've tried, it's still the best!

Who Dished It Up First
Like many family recipes, it's hard to say, but my mom learned to make it from her mother-in-law, who was a wonderful cook and hostess.  I'm not sure there is actually a written version of this recipe. This is my best guess at ingredients and measurements.  Feel free to adjust the quantities and seasonings to suit your tastes.