Scallion-Cheddar Cornbread Stuffing

 

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 celery rib, including leaves, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 6 cups stale cornbread, crumbled into large chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary
•  Pinch of ground cayenne (optional)
• 1 ½ cups turkey or chicken stock, plus more as needed
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees if you are planning to bake the stuffing right away (otherwise don’t heat it yet). Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish or an 8-inch pan (square or round will work).
  2. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green parts. Save the dark green parts for later.
  3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter (save the remaining 2 tablespoons butter for the topping). When the white butter foam has mostly disappeared, add white and light-green scallion slices, celery and the pinch of salt. Cook vegetables, stirring them often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pepper. (If you’re grinding it from a pepper mill, you don’t have to measure it. Just turn the mill 10 times over the pan.) Move the skillet to an unlit burner on your stove and let the mixture cool.
  1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together until well mixed. Add cooled celery mixture, dark green scallion parts, cornbread, sage or rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cayenne, if using. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups stock, adding more as needed to moisten all the cornbread. You want it moist but not mushy. (Stop before it looks like oatmeal.) Fold in 1/2 cup Cheddar, the Parmesan and parsley.
  2. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter those over the top of the stuffing. (At this point, you can wrap the cornbread with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.)
  3. When ready to bake, if you haven’t heated the oven, do so now. Bake stuffing until crisp and browned on top, about 25 to 35 minutes. (It will take longer if you’re baking it straight from the fridge.) Serve hot or warm.