Roasted Garlic, Sage, and Sausage Dressing

This is a Martha Stewart recipe. So delicious, I think I will prepare it as a main dish sometime, with just a salad accompaniment. The whole garlic cloves make an irresistible addition.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 5  cups  cornbread (crumbled, prepared fresh or using a package mix)
• 3  cups rice, cooked, cold (I used brown)
• 9  tablespoons butter
• 3  carrots, medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
• 1  onion, large, cut into 1/4 inch dice (2 cups)
• 3  celery ribs, strings removed, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1 1/2 cups)
• 1  green pepper, medium, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1/2 cup)
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  fennel sausage, sweet, fresh. I used sweet Italian. Remove casing
• 2  tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 2  tablespoons sage, finely chopped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste. (I used about 1/2 this)
• 2  teaspoons ground pepper, fresh, plus more to taste
• 3 -4  cups  chicken stock, homemade or 3 -4  cups  low-sodium canned skimmed  fat
• 3  bulbs garlic, roasted

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. (I use Bak-Klene ZT for no residue). Set aside. In a large bowl, combine cornbread and rice, and set aside. In a large skillet, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, and saute until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add onion and celery, and saute until onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add green pepper, and saute 1 minute. (I had to cover for carrots to soften). Combine vegetables and cornbread mixture.
2. In same skillet, saute sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up large pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon; mix with cornbread mixture, along with poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper. Discard rendered fat from skillet. Add stock and mix, one cup at a time, until stuffing is well moistened but not soggy.
3. Squeeze garlic from skins; mix gently into cornbread mixture, keeping garlic cloves whole. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter; drizzle over top of stuffing. (I used less than stated here, in both places butter is used and was still delicious). Bake until top is golden and stuffing is heated through, 45 to 50 minutes. To reheat, bring to room temperature, cover; bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove cover; bake until heated through, about 10 minutes more. Enjoy.