Recipe Categories
Fowl & Poultry
Turkey 
Stuffing & Dressing
Whole Turkeys

Granny's Maple Bacon Turkey Cornbread Stuffing

 1 12-14 lb fresh turkey, discard giblets, neck and liver 
 2 sticks butter, room temperature
 1/2 bunch sage, chopped
 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
 12 large cornbread muffins / 6 cups cornbread roughly torn into large “crumbs”
 1 egg
 1/2 cup heavy cream
 1 cup chicken stock
 1/2 cup maple syrup
 1/4 cups hot water
 8 strips smoked bacon
 4 tbsp flour
 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
 Juice of 1/2 a lemon 

       DIRECTIONS
       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
       Chop up sage, place in a bowl with the butter, a few twists of pepper and sea salt. Mash with a fork until smooth and well combined.
       In a sauté pan, melt 1/4 cup of the sage butter, add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Place in a large mixing bowl with the cornbread crumbs; toss and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. 
       In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, cream and stock and pour into the stuffing, toss together until well combined. Set aside to stuff the turkey. 
       Rinse and dry your bird well. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Gently lift the skin from the turkey and using your hands, massage the remaining sage butter under the skin. Stuff the bird with the sage-cornbread stuffing. Place the turkey in the roasting pan and in the oven.
       Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and water. Use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. Cook for four hours, basting every 30 minutes. 
       In the last hour, remove the turkey from the oven and place the bacon over the breasts. Return to the oven and cook for 1 more hour.
       The turkey is done when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the turkey to a serving tray and set aside. 
       Drain 3/4 of fat from the pan. Place the roasting pan on a burner and turn the flame to medium. Whisk to scrape up the brown pieces and maple syrup with a few tablespoons of the flour to bind. Bring to a low boil and add the chicken stock slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly to blend and prevent lumps. Add the remaining flour if it needs additional thickening, whisking continually until smooth gravy forms. Add a squeeze of lemon, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and serve with the turkey

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