Sausage Apple Bacon & Herb Cornbread Stuffing

Preheat your grill to 250F. Hollow out apples using a melon baller or ice cream scoop to create cups for the stuffing. Chop the removed apple pieces.

Combine the chopped apple pieces with finely chopped celery and 3 tablespoons of butter. Place this mixture into a disposable pan and put it on the grill.

Crumble the hot ground sausage meat into another disposable pan and place it on the grill.

Mix the finely chopped Vidalia onion with all the chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, chives) and the remaining butter (3 tablespoons). Place this mixture into a third disposable pan and put it on the grill.

Place the hollowed-out apples into a 9-inch cast iron pan and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Place this pan on the grill.

Grill all the pan items (apple-celery mixture, sausage, onion-herb mixture, and hollowed apples) for 1 1/2 hours until they are softened and caramelized. Stir the contents of the disposable pans every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

In a large bowl, combine the dry crumbled cornbread (or the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix), the cooked bacon (including the bacon grease), the grilled celery and apple mixture, the grilled sausage, and the grilled onion-herb mixture.

Heat the chicken stock to a simmer and then add it to the cornbread stuffing mix in the large bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Taste the stuffing mixture and season with salt and pepper to your preference.

Fill the hollowed apple cups with the stuffing mixture and top each with fresh sage leaves. Arrange any remaining stuffing around the apples in the cast iron pan.

Increase the grill temperature to 275F and smoke the stuffing for an additional 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and crispy. If serving a large crowd, skip the apple cups and chop all the apples completely, cooking the stuffing in a large disposable pan.