Cook, author Fred Thompson whips up Thanksgiving side dish - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Cook and author Fred Thompson stopped by Good Day Atlanta to whip up a great Thanksgiving side dish - Cornbread, Apple and Sausage Dressing!

Fred has a book signing Friday night at Fox Tales in Woodstock at 7 p.m.

For more information, click here!

Recipe:

2 pounds country sausage with sage (most farm stand sausages have enough sage)
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tart apples, like Granny Smith, cored and cut into chunks
9 cups cornbread, broken into 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried sage
½ coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 ½ cups dried sweetened cranberries
Vegetable cooking spray
Turkey or low sodium chicken broth

Instructions:

1.     Break up the sausage in a 12 inch sauté pan over medium heat.  As the sausage cooks, continue to crumble it with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the sausage is browned, 7-10 minutes.  Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the fat, and place the sausage in a very large mixing bowl.
2.    Increase heat to medium high.  Add the onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Pour the onions and sausage fat into the bowl with the sausage.  Return the pan to the heat and melt 4 tablespoons of butter.  When the butter stops foaming, add the apple.  Reduce heat to medium and cook slowly until the apples are slightly soft, about 10 minutes.  Add this mixture to the sausage and onions. 
3.    Add the cornbread a handful at a time to the bowl, mixing after each addition.  Stir in the thyme sage, parsley, and cranberries.
4.    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
5.    Spray 15X17inch casserole with vegetable spray.  Pour the mixture into the casserole.  Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and dot the dressing with them.  I have been known to use duck fat in place of the butter.  Pour 1 cup of broth over the dressing.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Every 10 minutes, add a little broth and a little butter and stir to keep the dressing moist.  Serve hot or at room temperature.