The time has come to begin planning your holiday celebrations – filled with tasty food and happy guests.

To ensure a savory and stress-free holiday, Jimmy Dean Chef Jill Houk shares her favorite go-to recipes and tips:

• To feel confident in the kitchen, fill most of your holiday feast with recipes you’ve made before and then add one or two new dishes to the mix.
• Whether you’re preparing a traditional side dish or a hearty appetizer, you can make your holiday staples extra special by incorporating flavorful ingredients, such as high quality Jimmy Dean sausage. Known for its great taste and quality, Jimmy Dean sausage comes in varieties that feature seasonal flavors such as sage, so traditional dishes like stuffing are as flavorful as ever.
• Roasts, hams and turkeys need time to rest after they come out of the oven and before you slice and serve them – anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Use this time to cook quick items like vegetables, stuffing and dinner rolls.
• Have a great mix of colors in your holiday dishes. Top green veggies with bright slices of citrus, add cranberries to your salad and serve your main dish on a brightly-colored platter.

Fill your holidays with flavor by trying one of these crowd-pleasing recipes or visit www.jimmydean.com for even more ideas.

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 package Jimmy Dean® Premium Pork Sage Roll Sausage
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 cups toasted coarsely crumbled cornbread
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cook sausage, celery and onion in large skillet over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Spoon into large bowl.
3. Add cornbread, parsley and seasoning; mix lightly. Add broth and egg; mix just until blended. Stir in pecans, if desired.
4. Spoon into lightly greased 2-quart casserole or souffle dish; cover.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated, uncovering after 35 minutes.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 pounds large mushrooms, stems removed and reserved
• 1 package Jimmy Dean® Premium Pork Regular Roll Sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 ounces cubed and softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup dry Italian breadcrumbs, divided
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Finely chop enough mushroom stems to measure 1 cup; discard any remaining stems. Place mushroom caps, rounded-side down, in lightly greased shallow baking pans.
3. Cook sausage, chopped stems and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain and return to skillet.
4. Add cream cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley; mix well. Spoon into mushroom caps.
5. Combine remaining breadcrumbs, remaining Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over mushrooms.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and stuffing is lightly browned.

Sponsored by Jimmy Dean