Corn Bread and Squash Stuffing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted butter, more for greasing baking sheet and dish
• About 1 pound corn bread, preferably stale, roughly crumbled
• 1 medium butternut or other winter squash or small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups fresh cranberries (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds or coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced sage leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 cup cream or half-and-half, warmed, more as needed

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. If baking stuffing outside bird, grease a 2-quart casserole, large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
3. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with a little olive oil or butter and spread out corn bread.
4. Bake corn bread, tossing occasionally with a spatula, for 20 to 30 minutes, until it's toasted and a little crisp in places.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.
6. In a large bowl, combine corn bread, squash or pumpkin, cranberries, seeds or nuts, and sage.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Stir remaining oil or butter and the syrup or honey into cream or half-and-half and drizzle over stuffing mixture, stirring to lightly moisten everything.
9. Do not saturate it, just soften it.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
11. Place stuffing in bird and bake.
12. Or put stuffing in prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake until hot, 25 to 30 minutes.
13. Uncover and bake until mixture bubbles and top is browned, another 10 to 15 minutes.

extra virgin olive oil, corn bread, butternut, fresh cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sage, salt, maple syrup, cream

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/150 (may not work)