Make the cornbread first.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a cast iron skillet (or a 10-inch cake pan) and put in the oven until the butter melts, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs until well combined. Take the skillet out of the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the edges of the pan. Pour the butter into the buttermilk mixture. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 25 minutes. The cornbread should be golden brown and crusty. Cool and cut into 1-inch pieces. Turn out onto a baking sheet and let sit out at room temperature for 2 days.

In a large skillet, cook the onions until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for another 7 minutes. Make sure that it is cooked through.

Add the cornbread, pecans, parsley, and lemon zest to a very large bowl.

Toss together.

Add the chicken stock.

And melted butter.

Toss until everything is combined and moistened. Pour the stuffing into a 9×13 casserole dish.

Cover the stuffing with tin foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Take the tin foil off and bake for another 20 minutes. The top should be crispy and crunchy.