This made-from-scratch, savory Thanksgiving cornbread stuffing recipe is filled with sage, thyme, and Italian chicken sausage.
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
- Make the Cornbread: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, and add milk, eggs, honey, and oil. Stir until the mixture comes together, and only a few lumps remain. Pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan sprayed with oil, and bake at 400°F for 22 to 24 minutes. Once it cools, cut it into cubes.
- Dry Out the Cornbread: Put the cubed cornbread on a large sheet pan and bake at 300°F for 35 minutes until lightly toasted firm. Cool the bread and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Cook Sausage and Veggies: Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and parsley, and cook for about 12 minutes. Next, add the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and cook for five minutes.
- Combine the onion mixture with the cornbread, drizzle the broth over the stuffing, and toss gently. Pour the stuffing into an oiled 9” x 12” baking dish, and bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
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.
FAQs
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!
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
For The Cornbread:
- olive oil spray
- 1 cup course yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix such as Cup 4 cup
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup fat-free milk, or dairy-free milk
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons neutral tasting oil such as canola, or grapeseed
- 3 large eggs
For the Corn Bread Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon neutral tasting oil such as canola, or grapeseed
- 14 ounces raw sweet chicken sausage, removed from casing
- 2 large onions, chopped, about 3 cups
- 3 cups chopped celery, from 6 to 7 ribs
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
For the cornbread:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan generously with oil.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add milk, eggs, honey and oil.
- Stir just until the mixture comes together and there are only a few lumps remaining.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22-24 minutes until the top is lightly browned and sides have pulled away from pan; a toothpick inserted into center will come out clean.
- Once it cools, cube it and set aside. It’s fine to leave it out overnight if making ahead. This makes 9 cups.
For the stuffing:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray a 9 x 12 inch baking dish with oil.
- Place cubed cornbread on a large sheet pan. Bake, gently stirring twice, until lightly toasted and firm, about 35 minutes. Cool completely; transfer to a large bowl. Increase oven to 350F.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up until browned.
- Add onion, celery and parsley; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes.
- Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper; continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Add onion mixture to bowl with beaten eggs and cornbread. Drizzle broth over stuffing mixture; gently toss until evenly moistened.
- Spoon stuffing into prepared baking dish and bake 350F uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes.
