MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

This family classic from author Peggy Knickerbocker, with its Mississippi roots, has been passed down through the generations.

4 cups crumbled corn bread
2 strips bacon, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 medium tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried savory
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread corn bread on a cookie sheet and bake until golden, 20–30 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a large bowl.

2. Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, 5–8 minutes. Stir bacon and drippings into corn bread. Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat, add onions and celery, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add to corn bread mixture.

3. Stir in apple, bay leaf, savory, sage, marjoram, thyme, and basil, and season with salt and pepper. When ready to roast, fill cavity of a 10–12 lb. turkey and roast as directed below. (Or transfer stuffing to a 4-cup baking dish, cover, and bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes.)