Everyone has their favorite stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, and this is one of mine. It's got not-too-sweet crumbles of cornbread, Italian sausage, and lots of fresh herbs – delicious!

This stuffing is delicious when cooked inside the bird, we like this simple, juicy roast turkey. If you plan to cook the stuffing separately, follow the instructions below, it can be cooked in the same oven or at the same temperature as your turkey.

Tip: For a stuffing with a bit of heat, use hot Italian sausage or even chorizo.

Yields 12 to 14 cups

Ingredients
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage (without casings), cut in small chunks
3 to 4 Tbs. rendered bacon fat or butter, if needed
2 cups chopped onion
1-1/2 cups finely chopped celery, including leaves
1-1/2 cups finely chopped bell pepper, preferably a mix of red and green
2 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 recipe Basic Cornbread, crumbled
1 cup chopped scallion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Turkey stock or homemade or low-salt chicken broth as needed

Directions
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add enough rendered bacon fat or butter to the pan to get about 5 Tbs. total fat. Add the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook briefly until the onion is softened. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Combine in a large bowl with the crumbled cornbread, scallions, parsley, chives, and pepper. Toss to combine.

If cooking in a turkey, put the stuffing in the bird just before roasting. Pack the stuffing loosely, leaving enough room to fit your whole extended hand into the bird's cavity. Cook the stuffing in the bird to 160º to 165ºF, checking with an instant-read thermometer. If the bird is done before the stuffing is, take the bird out of the oven, spoon the stuffing into a casserole dish, and continue to bake it while the turkey rests. If baking some or all of the stuffing in a casserole, pour a cup or two of stock over the stuffing to replace the juices the stuffing would have absorbed from the bird. Bake it covered until heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. For a crunchy top, uncover it for the last 15 minutes of baking.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : per 1/2 cup stuffing; Calories (kcal): 110; Fat (g): 6; Fat Calories (kcal): 50; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 2; Carbohydrates (g): 11; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 450; Cholesterol (mg): 20; Fiber (g): 1

Reviews of this recipe on Fine Cooking

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a gorgeous, flavorful roast turkey, and I've got two secrets to share with you for cooking a juicy turkey every time: brine the bird, and rub a compound butter under the skin before you roast it.

Ingredients
For the juniper-ginger butter:
7 oz. (14 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. minced shallots
1 Tbs. ground juniper
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

For the brined turkey:
2-1/2 lb. kosher salt (8-3/4 cups if you're using Diamond Crystal brand)
1-1/2 lb. (3 cups plus 3 Tbs.) granulated sugar
2/3 cup freshly ground black pepper
2-1/2 oz. fresh rosemary sprigs (about 2 large bunches), lightly crushed
2-1/2 oz. fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 large bunches), lightly crushed
14-lb. natural turkey (preferably fresh)

Tip: Because different brands of kosher salt have different densities, be sure to measure by weight. For example, 2-1/2 lb. of Morton brand salt is only about 4-1/2 cups.

For the gravy:
1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 oz. (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
At least one day ahead, make the butter

Directions
Mix the butter ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate 4 Tbs. of the butter for the gravy and set the rest aside at room temperature for the turkey.

One day ahead, brine and prepare the turkey

In a plastic container or stockpot large enough to hold the turkey, mix all the brine ingredients (except the turkey) in 3 gallons of cold water, stirring until the salt and sugar are mostly dissolved. Discard the neck and the giblets and trim any excess skin or fat. Trim the tail, if desired. Rinse the turkey and submerge it in the brine for at least 4 hours and no more than 6 hours. If the turkey floats, weight it down with a couple of dinner plates.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Starting at the top of the breast, run your fingers between the breast and the skin to separate them, being careful not to rip the skin. Once you're halfway down the breast, turn the turkey around and work from the bottom of the breast until you have loosened the skin from the breast, thighs, and as far down the legs as you can reach. Rub the juniper butter under the skin, covering the breast and as much of the legs as possible. Tuck the wings behind the breast and truss the turkey with twine, securing the legs to the body. Set the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 and up to 24 hours.

Roast the turkey

Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. If any brine has dripped from the turkey into the roasting pan, pour it out. Then pour 2 cups of warm water into the bottom of the pan and cover the entire roasting pan with foil. Roast undisturbed for 2 hours; remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Roast the uncovered turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of both thighs reads 165°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer.

Move the turkey to a cutting board, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Make the gravy

Strain the turkey drippings into a fat separator cup (or another clear, heatproof container). Let sit until the fat rises to the top and then separate exactly 2 cups of the turkey juice from the fat—don't use more than that or the gravy will be too salty. Combine the 2 cups juice with the chicken broth and enough water to make 4-1/2 cups liquid.

In a medium saucepan, melt the reserved juniper-ginger butter and the unsalted butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the liquid, bring just to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Whisking frequently, continue to cook about 5 minutes longer to meld the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead Tips

The turkey must be brined and buttered a day ahead. You can make and refrigerate the butter up to 1 week ahead or freeze for 2 months. Bring to room temperature before preparing the turkey.

How To Carve a Turkey

nutrition information (per serving) for this recipe:
Size : 6 oz. meat, 2 fl. oz. gravy; Calories (kcal): 500; Fat (g): 26; Fat Calories (kcal): 230; Saturated Fat (g): 11; Protein (g): 60; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 8; Carbohydrates (g): 5; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4.5; Sodium (mg): 440; Cholesterol (mg): 185; Fiber (g): 0;

Reviews of this recipe on Fine Cooking

1. First, be thankful. Take time and pause to reflect on the big and small things in your life that you are grateful for—that means food on the table and people to share it with.
    
2. Make a timeline so that you can schedule shopping for the week, the day of the feast and an oven schedule so you know what needs to go in and when.
    
3. Read through all of your recipes to make sure you are clear about the order of instructions and all the ingredients you'll need.
    
4. Check and make sure that you have all the pots and pans you'll need.
    
5. Check and make sure you have all the plates, flatware, napery, serving utensils, glassware, and chairs that you'll need. If you are short ask a guest to pitch in.
    
6. Do as much as you can before BIG Thursday. Most purees can be made a week in advance and frozen. Make the pies, stuffing, etc., the day before.
    
7. Go easy on the table decor. Avoid fancy and elaborate floral arrangements and knick knacks on your table. You'll have a lot of color with all the foods being served and with plates passing around and serving utensils poking out here and there, you'll need more space than usual on your table.
    
8. Make use of extra hands in your house. The night before rent a movie and put family members to work peeling butternut squash, green beans, or other time-consuming jobs that'll slow you down the next day.
    
9. Make a list of all the ingredients you will need a week before.
    
10. If you have a frozen turkey, be sure to begin defrosting it on Monday—in your fridge, a 14-pound turkey will take 2-3 days. If you forget, fill a large, clean cooler with cold water and put your bird in there, changing the water every hour. If you are lucky (we told you to defrost your turkey earlier!) your bird will be ready in 8 hours.