Corn Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 (8.5 oz.) boxes corn bread mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup creamed style corn

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp parsley, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp butter, unsalted

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together corn bread mix, eggs, milk, creamed corn, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper; pour into greased corn bread pan or baking dish.  Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; let cool.  Once cornbread is cool enough to handle, cut it up into cubes.  Place cubes onto a greased sheet pan, sprinkle with thyme and parsley then drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes (remove half way through to turn cubes).  Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat; add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until soft (about 10 minutes).  Turn heat to low then stir in cornbread cubes, pecans, chicken broth, and apple juice; continue cooking until all liquid has been absorbed then remove from heat completely.  Add dried cranberries and season to taste.  Either serve warm or stuff into any bird of choice (it is also excellent with pork) and cook thoroughly!