Perfect Polenta Dressing

This recipe is a result of many years of experimentation to come up with a dressing that my whole family loves. It is a wonderful complement to the requisite holiday turkey, but is equally delicious when served with a smoked pork loin or leg of lamb.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 187 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• cooking spray
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 4 cups cubed Italian bread
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• ½ pound reduced-fat hot Italian sausage
• 1 cup minced fennel bulb
• ½ cup finely chopped dried pears
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced summer savory leaves
• ⅓ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Whisk chicken stock, egg yolk, cornmeal, kosher salt, and white pepper together in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil; cook and stir until cornmeal absorbs all the chicken stock, about 8 minutes. Remove polenta from heat and cool.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Step 3

Cook and stir sausage, onion, fennel, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sausage is fully cooked and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir sausage mixture into polenta until fully incorporated. Add bread cubes, pears, parsley, balsamic vinegar, sage, summer savory, and nutmeg; stir to combine. Transfer polenta mixture to the prepared casserole dish; cover with an oven-proof lid or aluminum foil.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until polenta dressing is cooked through and slightly browned on top, 30 to 35 minutes.