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Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Add a little Southern flair to your Thanksgiving feast with this golden, savory cornbread stuffing that’s loaded with rich sausage and fragrant herbs.
This Southern-style cornbread dressing has a rich, almost spoon bread-like consistency with a perfectly toasty, golden top. It’s a bit more time-intensive than my traditional stuffing recipe since it starts with homemade cornbread (no shortcuts here—store-bought cornbread is too sweet and just doesn’t work). But the good news is that you can spread the prep over a few days. The cornbread itself is intentionally dry and plain, so don’t worry if it tastes a little bland—once combined with sausage, eggs, and butter, it transforms into something wonderfully flavorful and rich. For Thanksgiving, I recommend baking the stuffing in a separate dish from the turkey for the best results.
Servings: 8
Author: Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients

For the Cornbread

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted ½ cup

For the Stuffing

  • 1 pound pork sausage bulk, hot or sweet
  • 2 medium yellow onions diced
  • 3 ribs celery diced
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herb blend I use equal parts thyme, rosemary and sage
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pecan pieces

Instructions

For the Cornbread

    Make the cornbread:

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
    • Butter and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan or spray with a nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
    • Add the milk and whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
    • Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
    • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
    • Bake until lightly golden around the edges and set, about 30 minutes.
    • Cool in the pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, 20 to 30 minutes.

    Toast the cornbread:

    • Preheat the oven to 250°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
    • Cut the cornbread into 1-inch squares.
    • Place the cut cornbread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 1 hour.
    • Cool the cornbread on the baking sheet, about 15 minutes.

    For the Stuffing

      Toast the pecans:

      • Lightly toast the pecan pieces in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until fragrant.
      • Transfer the pecans to a plate to cool:

      Cook the sausage:

      • Turn up the heat to medium high.
      • Add the sausage to the pan and cook, stirring and breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
      • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the largest bowl you have (it needs to fit all the cornbread), leaving the fat in the pan.

      Saute the aromatics:

      • Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and 3 tablespoons of the butter to the pan.
      • Cook until the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
      • Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
      • Off the heat, mix in the herbs.
      • Add the vegetable mixture and toasted pecans to the bowl with the sausage and mix to combine.

      Prepare the custard:

      • In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, broth, and salt.

      Assemble and bake:

      • Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
      • Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

      Soak the breadcrumbs:

      • Add the dried cornbread cubes to the sausage and vegetable mixture.
      • Pour the egg mixture over top.
      • Fold the mixture a few times with a large rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the cornbread too much.
      • Let the mixture sit, folding carefully a few times, until the cornbread is saturated, about 10 minutes.

      Bake and serve:

      • Transfer the soaked cornbread mixture to the prepared pan, making sure the sausage and vegetables are evenly distributed.
      • Try to arrange some of the larger pieces of cornbread on top; it looks prettier.
      • Dot the top of the stuffing with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
      • Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 35 minutes. Serve warm.

      Notes

      Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions:
      The cornbread can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. Cut it into cubes and let it dry out on the countertop overnight instead of toasting it in the oven.
      If you'd like the assemble the stuffing in advance, prepare it up until the point of baking, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to a day ahead of time. When ready to serve, bake as directed, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven.
      It can also be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.