Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 40 min

Total time: 1 hour

Note:For a 16- to 20-pound turkey

With this stuffing you could skip the turkey. Yes, it's a long list of ingredients, but this is a winner. Our old friend Herman Merkin mastered this mix. He brought it to our first married Thanksgiving. We've been making it ever since.

Certainly use store-bought cornbread. Add it and the nuts to the mix just before stuffing the turkey.

• 9-inch square pan of stale cornbread (1 recipe), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 pound spicy sausage meat, crumbled
• 3 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tightly-packed tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tightly-packed teaspoons each fresh thyme and oregano, chopped
• 1/4 cup honey (optional)
• 1 tart apple, cored and chopped
• 1 pound chestnuts, roasted and shelled, or jarred ones
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 9-inch square stale cornbread, cut into 1/2-inch dice