Turkey gravy from pan drippings

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  You simply deglaze your roasting pan and thicken the deglazing liquid with a little flour.  Wondra flour is a great product to use here, since it's designed not to clump.

This is taken from an Alton Brown instructional video, which unfortunately didn't have a written-out recipe to accompany it.

Turkey gravy from pan drippings

Remove the cooked turkey from the roasting pan.  Place the pan on your stovetop and heat it to medium from below with 2 burners.

Add to deglaze the pan:
1 c. red wine
3 c. low-sodium chicken stock

Whisk until all the browned bits have become resuspended.  Pour the resulting pan liquid through a strainer into a Pyrex mixing cup.

Skim the fat from the top, and spoon the fat back into the hot roasting pan.

Add and whisk for 1 minute:
1/3 c. Wondra flour

Add the remaining liquid back to the pan.  Whisk while simmering until the hot liquid just begins to thicken.  (It should coat the back of a spoon.)

Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon

I don't have an Old Family Recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing, so one of my friends sent me theirs.  It sounded delicious, but involved making turkey stock and cornbread from scratch, and most of the quantities for spices were after-the-fact guesswork.  So I went hunting on the Food Network for a kissing cousin and found this recipe from the Neelys, who are Southern and therefore know a thing or two about cornbread.

Most of the flavor from this dish comes from the Italian sausage, so it pays to get a really good brand that packs a big punch.  (I used a spicy Italian turkey sausage.)  Also, stick to Granny Smith apples, since they don't fall apart during cooking.  Chop the apples on the medium to large side to provide texture in the finished dish.  (This is especially important if, like me, you're leaving out the nuts.)  As for the cornbread, you can either make it yourself, cube it, and dry it out, or buy pre-made cornbread stuffing from the grocery store.  I went with the pre-made stuff and it came out great.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon
serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take the casings off 1 lb. of Italian sausage.  Break it down into smaller pieces, similar to hamburger, and brown until cooked through (5-7 min.) in a large skillet.

Add and saute until softened:
1 medium white onion, diced fine
2 stalks of celery, chopped

Add and saute for 2 minutes:
1 Granny Smith apple, diced medium
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Add and simmer for 2-4 minutes until alcohol flavor is gone:
1/2 c. bourbon

In a large bowl, combine:
1.25 lb. cubed and dried cornbread
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock (or other stock of your choice)
2 eggs, beaten
optional: 1/2 c. chopped pecans or other nuts

Add the sauteed sausage and vegetable mixture to the bowl. Stir together until totally mixed. Pour into a large oven-safe casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes.