Holiday dinners at the home of Beachcomber editor Alex Bruell are a serious affair.

That’s due, for the most part, to the formidable cooking and baking skills of his mother, Janice Bruell. This Minnesotan matriarch, now a resident of California, has for decades regaled family and friends alike with sheets of dopamine-spiking cookies, pans of sizzling vegetables, and dishes of cornbread stuffing, to name just a few.

The latter comes from her own personal recipe — one which family and friends have repeatedly requested. Jan has taken enough inquiries into the recipe, in fact, that it’s worth sharing with the island at large.

If you read the Beachcomber, this is your chance to eat the delicious food that powers its editor. Here’s what Mrs. Bruell says about making the perfect cornbread stuffing:

“I start with a box of Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix. This past Thanksgiving, I used one and a half of the boxes. I substitute butter for the oil and buttermilk for the milk. Usually, I make these up a day or so ahead, and just store them in the refrigerator.”

Ingredients

• 1 large finely chopped onion

• 2 cups of chopped celery with leaves

• 9 cups or more of cubed cornbread

• 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt

• 1 tablespoon of dried sage

• 1 tablespoon of dried thyme

• 1 cup of melted butter

(These measurements aren’t exact — I taste it to decide.)

Instructions

• Cook and stir onion and celery in butter until onion is soft.

• Stir in about 1/3 of the bread crumbs.

• Turn into a large bowl with the remaining cornbread and salt and spices.

• Toss together and put into a greased casserole dish. But don’t stuff it into the turkey. Instead, bake it covered for an hour or so at 350 degrees and take the cover off at some point to brown the top.

• I also make a couple of cups of warm chicken stock with a few tablespoons of butter. Add this in if it starts looking too dry.

• When done, serve hot or refrigerate for hungry newspaper editors later.