Country Cornbread Dressing with Pecans

Ingredients

• 5 cups country loaf bread cubed toasted
• 4 stalks celery with leaves, finely chopped
• 5 cups day-old cornbread homemade store bought crumbled
• 4 large eggs lightly beaten
• 0.3 cup sage fresh loosely packed chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 10 servings kosher salt and pepper freshly ground
• 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium homemade
• 1.3 cups pecans chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 1 large vidalia onion finely chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• casserole dish
• wooden spoon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 3 1/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the celery and onions and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage, thyme and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Saute until very fragrant and all the vegetables are very soft and the onions are translucent, another 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped pecans in the last minute of cooking.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the cornbread and country bread to a very large bowl.
7. Add the cooked vegetables and toss together.
8. Whisk together the broth and eggs in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Pour the mixture over the bread and mix together with a wooden spoon until completely combined.
10. Pour the dressing into the casserole dish and bake until cooked through and golden on top, about 45 minutes.