Cornbread Filling with Green Olives, Cranberries, and Pecans! Sweet, buttery, green, ripe California olives add a twist to this classic Thanksgiving filling.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with the California Olive Committee.
Green olives make this filling really special and unique. California green ripe olives are particularly mild and buttery, making them a perfect contrast to the other flavors in this recipe.
Olives are also great flavor absorbers! Add them to the spiced veggies and let them cook for a few minutes and they take on all the sage and thyme goodness.
You can make your own cornbread or buy it ready made at the store. It’s even better for this recipe if the cornbread is a day old, but not essential. In any case, be careful when slicing the cornbread to avoid crumbling the cubes too much.
Of course, this stuffing has a place on the Thanksgiving table, but don’t just delegate it to a once-a-year event. Try it at your next fried chicken dinner; You will make the people at your table very happy!
Cornbread filling with green olives and pecans
ingredients
-
3/4 cup pecans
-
1 batch cornbread (homemade or store-bought, 8- to 10-inch pan size or enough to make about 8 cups cubed)
-
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the casserole dish
-
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
-
4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
-
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
-
1 teaspoon dried thyme
-
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
-
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
-
3/4 cup green ripe California olives, drained and roughly chopped
-
3/4 cup dried cranberries
-
2 large eggs
-
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
-
1/2 cup half and half
method
-
Preheat Oven to 350ºF:
Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
-
Toast the pecans:
Scatter the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly darkened and fragrant.
Place the pecans on a cutting board and roughly chop while still warm. Set aside until needed.
-
Dice and toast the cornbread:
Use a serrated knife to cut the cornbread into roughly 1/2-inch cubes. Be careful when slicing to avoid crumbling the cubes. You should have about 8 cups rolled.
Transfer the cubes and any crumbs to the baking sheet that the pecans were toasted on. Roast 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cubes appear golden on the edges and are dry to the touch.
-
Meanwhile, cook the vegetables:
In a large pan over medium heat melt the butter. Add onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add sage, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, olives and cranberries. Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are tender and the herbs are very fragrant. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
-
Mix filling:
Gently stir the cooked vegetable mixture into the bowl with the cornbread cubes. Stir in pecans.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, broth, and cream. Pour the filling on top and mix gently, using your hands if necessary to avoid crumbling the cornbread too much. The filling should feel evenly moist; sprinkle with additional chicken broth, if needed.
Pour into the casserole dish.
-
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is brown and crispy
-
Surcharge:
Serve the filling warm. The filling can also be made a day or two in advance and reheated in the oven before serving.
