Oyster and Sausage Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

• 0.8 pound bulk pork sausage 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 0.8 cup celery chopped
• 12 servings cornbread 
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 1 cup corn kernels fresh
• 2  onions peeled chopped ()
• 12 servings salt and pepper 
• 0.5 cup shucked fresh canned

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• aluminum foil
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat, combine butter, onions, celery, and corn. Stir often until vegetables are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Pour into a large bowl.
3. Crumble sausage in frying pan and stir often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to onion mixture. Discard fat.
4. Pour oysters and liquid into frying pan. Stir to free browned bits and bring to a boil. With slotted spoon, lift out oysters and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.
5. Add to onion mixture. Boil oyster liquid until reduced to 2 tablespoons and add to onion mixture.
6. Add sage, thyme, and cornbread; mix well, breaking cornbread into small pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Pat into a shallow 3-quart (9- by 13-in.) casserole. For moist dressing, cover with foil; for crusty dressing, do not cover.
8. Bake in a 325 to 350 oven until hot (at least 150 in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes (1 hour if chilled).