Last Updated on August 13, 2020 by Stephanie
This cornbread sausage stuffing recipe is the perfect sweet and savory dressing for your Thanksgiving feast. With delicious cornbread, breakfast sausage, and aromatics, this easy cornbread stuffing recipe will be the star of Thanksgiving.
Stuffing vs. Dressing
Before having a cooking website, I didn’t really take the time to properly use cooking terms. A hot topic is always ‘stuffing vs. dressing’. Stuffing refers to being cooked inside the cavity of a turkey, where as dressing is cooked in a dish separate from the turkey. I have always used the term stuffing, although I never cook it inside the turkey. So technically this is a dressing recipe, but most people do use the term stuffing more loosely these days.
Cornbread
There are so many stuffing recipes with different types of bread, but I am partial to cornbread stuffing. The sweet and savory combination is great to combat all the heavily savory dishes on the Thanksgiving table.
You can use my easy skillet cornbread recipe, or as my girl Ina Garten would say, “store bought is fine”. The key is to use a day or two old cornbread, so it holds up to all the other ingredients. If you don’t buy it in time to let it sit out, you can break it up and toast it in the oven to dry it up a bit.
Stuffing components
For the sausage, I like to use breakfast sausage. Italian sausage has different herbs in it which can alter the taste and I wouldn’t recommend a sweet sausage because the cornbread is already sweet. You can find the breakfast sausage by the bacon at your local grocery stores, for instance Smithfield above or I also use Jimmy Dean.
Thanksgiving Tip
My biggest tip when it comes to Thanksgiving, is prepping in advance. I like to sit down the day before and prep all my ingredients. If you need to pull off a bunch of thyme leaves, perfect to do sitting on the couch watching tv, so much less stressful. Chopping your vegetables in advance will allow you to just go to your pre-chopped containers and scoop what you need as you cook.
Cooking the elements
First you are going to brown the breakfast sausage. Cook the sausage then using a slotted spoon set it aside. Next, you’re going to add the butter, celery, onion, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and fresh herbs, cook until fragrant.
Add the onion, celery, sausage mixture to the same bowl with the breakfast sausage that you cooked, and mix to combine.
Add the cornbread pieces and gently mix to combine all of the elements. I like having big chunks in my cornbread so I am extra careful when stirring. Add the cornbread stuffing/dressing into a greased 9×13 baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs. turkey broth and pour over the stuffing.
Place in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove and you can top with additional fresh thyme leaves.
If preparing in advance, wait to pour the broth in until you’re ready to bake in the oven. I hope your family and guests enjoy this delicious cornbread stuffing/ cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving!
Looking for other Thanksgiving recipes?
- Easy Wet Brined Turkey
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Fried Shallots
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Made this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
This cornbread stuffing made from scratch with my homemade cornbread, delicious sausage, and savory additions will be your favorite side dish on the Thanksgiving table!
Ingredients
- 1 batch of Cornbread (or storebought), 1 or 2 days old or toasted, roughly crumbled
- 1 ½lb breakfast sausage (not sweet)
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 2 tsp + 2 tsp fresh thyme, removed from stem
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups, turkey broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- In a large skillet over medium/high heat, cook sausage until browned. About 5-8 minutes. Remove from skillet and put into large mixing bowl
- In the same skillet, add the butter, onion, celery, and sauté until softened. About 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic, sage, and 2 tsp of thyme and sauté another minute until fragrant. Remove from skillet and add to the mixing bowl with sausage.
- Add the roughly crumbled cornbread and gently mix. Add the other 2tsp of fresh thyme on top.
- In an oven safe baking dish, coat with nonstick spray, then add the cornbread mixture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and turkey broth then pour over the cornbread mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes, top should brown. Remove from oven and can serve immediately or if prepping before can be reheated prior to serving.
Notes
- Cornbread should be a ½ days old or you can toast fresh cornbread
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g
*Note: Nutrition information is an estimate. Values vary based on different brands and ingredients*
I absolutely love, love, love this recipe! I’ll be making it way past thanksgiving. My husband loved it, my brother-in-law can’t believe I made something so good (ain’t he the sweetest?, lol). The recipe is honestly so simple to follow and so full of flavor!