Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
I didn’t grow up eating cornbread stuffing (or Southern cornbread dressing depending on how you call it!). My mom always made this stuffing with French bread, and I’ve been making this sausage stuffing year after year. But I wanted to test a cornbread stuffing and think it turned out great as a gluten-free stuffing alternative. The taste and flavor of the cornbread combined with sausage, celery and fresh herbs creates a delicious Thanksgiving side dish I would be proud to put on my holiday table. For more healthy stuffing recipes, try my Chicken Sausage-Brown Rice Stuffing and Stuffing Muffins. And I have more Thanksgiving recipe ideas here if you need them!
I tested this stuffing recipe several times. On my first attempt, I bought already- made cornbread, but it had too much butter and sugar, so I didn’t care for it. So, I knew I would have to make the cornbread from scratch. I added a little honey to the cornbread because it balanced the sausage, but it’s not sweet.
Classic Cornbread Stuffing Ingredients
Homemade Cornbread: Course yellow cornmeal, all-purpose or gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, fat-free or dairy-free milk, honey, oil, eggs Sausage: I used sweet Italian chicken sausage, but turkey would also work. Onions: You’ll need three cups, which is about two onions. Celery: Chop six to seven celery ribs for three cups. Fresh Herbs: Parsley, thyme, sage Salt and Pepper for seasoning Broth: Choose reduced-sodium chicken broth. Eggs for binding and texture
How to Make Cornbread Stuffing
Variations
Cornbread: If you want to make the cornbread from a box, you’ll need nine cups of cubed bread for this stuffing. Herbs: Swap rosemary for thyme. Sausage: Substitute turkey sausage or pork sausage for chicken. Add dried cranberries: for sweetness and a pop of color.
How to Make Ahead
You can make parts of this cornbread stuffing ahead so you have less to do on Thanksgiving Day, like the corn bread, sausage and even have the veggies prepped. I recommend baking the cornbread a few days in advance, or you could even do it a couple of weeks early and freeze it cubed. On the day you plan on making this, combine the cornbread and sausage and follow the baking instructions.
Should I dry cornbread for stuffing?
You want the cornbread to be dried out before adding it to the stuffing, so it won’t be mushy. If you make the cornbread ahead, leave it out overnight. In my recipe, I included a step to bake the cubed bread as a shortcut to getting stale bread.
Do you put eggs in sausage stuffing?
Yes, you’ll need eggs for homemade stuffing. They help bind everything together and make the texture fluffy.
How to Freeze Stuffing
Leftovers will last up to four days in the fridge or three months frozen in airtight containers or plastic bags. Thaw it overnight and microwave until warm.
More Thanksgiving Sides You’ll Love:
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Brussels Sprouts Gratin Mashed Sweet Potato Brulee Creamed Spinach Scalloped Potato Gratin
Your comments are helpful! If you’ve tried this healthy Cornbread Stuffing or any other on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. And if you took a photo of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can reshare it on my Stories!
