Ok, so the”Cross Creek Style” is a inside joke.  If you know our gang and cook Thanksgiving dinner with our Sunday School class, you know that everyone likes to pick on Angel about Cross Creek. …we like to joke that this stuffing is “Cross Creek style” or Country Club style compared to your typical StoveTop stuffing.   Each year our Sunday School Class prepares a meal for our seniors, shut-ins and the less fortunate in our community.  What started out as feeding 100, followed by some good fellowship over dinner has grown over the years to feeding 300 plus.  As the numbers grow, so does the work load.  How do you get the extra hands lined up to help feed the multitude?  Announce that Angel is making her famous Thanksgiving stuffing and the volunteers come out of the woodwork!  Yes – it’s truly that good!  Just ask my sister who drives nearly 2 hours to join in the fun.

• Bread – 1 loaf cut into 1 inch square and dried out (day before)
• Chicken Stock – 16 oz – OR until the stuffing is moist – but not soupy
• Celery – 3 stalks
• Onion – 1 diced
• Granny Smith Apple – 1 chopped
• Butter -2 Tablespoons
• Sausage – 1 lb cooked and crumbled
• Thyme – 2 sprigs fresh or dried to taste
• Rosemary – 2 sprigs fresh or dried to taste
• Sage – 2 sprigs fresh or dried to taste
• Dried Cranberries – Optional

If time permits the night before:

1. Cut the bread into 1 inch square and place in an airtight container to dry out.
2. Brown the sausage, drain and set aside.  Once cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
3. Dice an onion and place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
4. Dice 3 stalks of celery and place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

If the bread still seems fresh, put it on a sheet pan in the oven for just a few minutes on broil to dry it out a little more.  Dice a Granny Smith apple and saute in 2 Tablespoons of butter with the chopped onions and celery until tender.

Chop the fresh herbs and mix 1/2 of the herbs with 1/2 of the bread crumbs and sausage in a 9 x 13 pan or larger.  Add 1/2 of the onions, celery and apple to the bread, herb and sausage mixture.   Add a few dried cranberries if desired.

Once the stuffing mixture is all put together, soak with chicken broth.  We used 16 oz of broth to soak the bread mixture and it worked out great.  If you like a crispy stuffing, I recommend splitting this up into two pans.  As this recipe is written, it makes a thick, delicious stuffing.   Bake on 350 degrees until golden brown.  Enjoy!!!