Sausage-Pumpkin Corn-Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 jalapeños, minced (with seeds)
• 12 corn muffins or two 8 1/2-ounce corn-bread mixes, prepared and crumbled (10 cups)
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 14-ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage or 1 heaping tablespoon dried sage

Preparation

1. To make it...
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and jalapeños, breaking up the meat and cooking until it is no longer pink. Drain the fat. Add the corn bread. Fold in the pumpkin, broth, cranberries, and sage. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) For drier stuffing, omit the broth.
5. To fake it...and save 30 minutes
6. Prepare one 16 ounce bag corn-bread-stuffing mix according to the label directions, omitting any butter and all but about 1 cup of the liquid that's called for on the label. Fold in one 15-ounce can pumpkin, one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, 1 cup dried cranberries, and one 2.8-ounce package cooked bacon, chopped.