Easy Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

A white baking dish filled with golden-brown cornbread stuffing, mixed with herbs and vegetables, with a silver serving spoon resting inside. The dish sits on a patterned cloth.

This easy cornbread dressing with sausage starts with toasted cornmeal skillet cornbread, dried into cubes so it bakes up moist but never mushy. Breakfast sausage, onions, celery, thyme, and fresh sage give true Southern holiday flavor. Make the cornbread and sausage mixture ahead, then bake before serving for a crowd-friendly side that lets you enjoy your guests.

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword baked, comfort food, savory

Prep Time 2

Cool Time 20

Total Time 2 20

Servings

Calories 421

Author Gina Dickson

Ingredients

Cornbread

3 cups cornmeal 15 ounces/425 grams
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
2½ cups buttermilk
2 eggs large
4 tablespoons butter for cornbread mix
2 tablespoons butter to coat the hot skillet

Dressing

1 pound breakfast sausage bulk
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion finely chopped
1½ cups celery finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh sage minced into very small pieces
½ teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3 eggs lightly beaten, large

Instructions

Make the Cornbread

Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and set the rack in the middle position.
Warm a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cornmeal and toast it, stirring often with a heatproof spatula, until it smells nutty and the color slightly deepens. This usually takes a few minutes.
3 cups cornmeal
Transfer the toasted cornmeal to a large bowl and wipe the skillet clean and place it in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with the toasted cornmeal.
2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
Add the buttermilk and eggs to the bowl and whisk until fully combined.
2½ cups buttermilk, 2 eggs
Melt the butter and whisk it into the batter until smooth.
1 tablespoon butter
Using pot holders, carefully pull the hot skillet out of the oven and add the butter, tilting the pan to coat the bottom and sides.
4 tablespoons butter
Quickly scrape the cornbread batter into the hot skillet.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges pull away from the pan.
Cool the cornbread in the skillet for 15 minutes.

Dry the Cornbread

Turn the cornbread out of the skillet and cut it into small cubes.
Arrange the cubes in a single layer on a large baking pan.
Place the pan in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes to dry out the cornbread, stirring once halfway through if needed. Let cool.

Make the Dressing Base

When you are ready to make the dressing, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Break it into small pieces as it cooks. Continue to cook the sausage until no pink remains.
1 pound breakfast sausage
Spoon off any excess grease from the sausage. Add the onion, celery, table salt, and butter to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften.
1 cup onion, 1½ cups celery, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter
Stir in the thyme, sage, and pepper and cook until fragrant.
2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons fresh sage, ½ teaspoon pepper
Transfer the sausage and vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Combine and Bake the Dressing

Add the dried cornbread cubes to the bowl with the sausage mixture.
Pour in the chicken broth and the lightly beaten eggs.
3 cups chicken broth, 3 eggs
Stir gently to combine, being careful not to break apart the cornbread cubes too much.
Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer the dressing mixture to the prepared dish and spread it into an even layer.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dressing is set in the center.

Notes

Storage and Reheating

Room Temperature: Let the baked dressing sit at room temperature for serving for up to 2 hours, then refrigerate any leftovers.
Refrigerator: Store leftovers covered in the baking dish or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat a covered pan at 325°F until warmed through, usually about 20 to 25 minutes depending on how full the pan is, uncovering at the end if you want to crisp the top. Warm single servings gently in the microwave with a splash of broth.

Nutrition