Butternut Squash Cornbread Stuffing

The turkey may be the quarterback of your feasting gridiron, but with the help of this stuffing recipe from Brigitte Nguyen of The Kentucky Proud Kitchen, there will be plenty of action on the sidelines (and sideboard) this Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients:

3 cups butternut squash (about half a medium butternut squash), diced

1½ cups parsnips (about 2 parsnips), diced

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cups onion, diced

2 cups celery, diced

¾ cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon rubbed sage, or more to taste

4 cups cornbread stuffing

1½-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation:

  1. Toss diced cubes of squash and parsnips with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until vegetables start to brown, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté onion and celery until translucent and lightly browned. Add cranberries and season with sage, salt and pepper.
  3. In a large bowl, toss cornbread stuffing with roasted squash/parsnips and sautéed onion/celery. Drizzle the chicken (or vegetable) stock over the stuffing and lightly toss, adding more stock as needed until bread is moist.
  4. Transfer to a baking dish, dot with the remaining butter (cut into small cubes), and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and hot.