Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 28, 2024
This Cornbread Sausage Stuffing is guaranteed to be a hit! This golden, slightly sweet, and incredibly savory recipe is a favorite make-ahead side dish at any holiday meal. It’s so good, you may never go back to bread stuffing again!
In This Article
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Video: watch us make this Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
This Cornbread Sausage Stuffing is a great alternative to our classic stuffing recipe, and it’s perfect for gluten free eaters. Why we love it:
- Golden Crusty Exterior: The combination of the cornbread and the baking process gives this stuffing a beautifully golden and slightly crispy crust.
- Moist Interior: The inside of this stuffing is incredibly moist and flavorful, a perfect contrast to the crusty exterior.
- Sweet and Savory: This stuffing has just the right amount of sweetness from the cornbread and tartness from the apples, perfectly balanced with the savory sausage and seasonings. Also try our sausage and apple stuffing.
- Prep-Ahead: Like most stuffing recipes, this one can be made almost, saving you precious minutes on the big day.
- Versatile: While the sausage adds a lot of flavor to this stuffing, you can easily make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using veggie broth instead. It’s just as amazing!
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Baked Cornbread – Day-old cornbread works well. If you make cornbread the same day, let it cool completely to room temperature before using it.
- Seasoned Ground Sausage – Use your favorite brand of seasoned sausage.
- Fresh Sage – A tablespoon of this chopped herb adds a warm, earthy note.
- Granny Smith Apple – We love the tartness and firmness of this apple in the stuffing.
- Chicken Broth – This adds moisture to the stuffing and also infuses it with a rich, savory flavor.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are a few of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Add Dried Fruit or Nuts: To give your stuffing a bit of sweetness and crunch, try adding dried cranberries, apricots, or chopped pecans/walnuts.
- Different Protein While we love the flavor of ground sausage in this stuffing, feel free to substitute it with ground turkey, chicken, or chopped bacon.
- Make it Meatless: To make this stuffing vegetarian, omit the sausage altogether and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can also try using vegetarian sausage or add mushrooms.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Cut cornbread into cubes and set aside. Brown and crumble the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery, apple, and seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the sausage back to the skillet.
- Combine the sausage mixture with cornbread. Add seasonings. Add chicken broth and fold until the mixture is moist.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly. Drizzle the melted butter on top and bake.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our best prep-ahead tips for this recipe:
- Make Cornbread Ahead of Time: The cornbread for this recipe can be made ahead of time. You can bake it, let it cool, and then store it in an airtight container ahead of time for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
- Chop Veggies and Apples: You can chop the onion, garlic, celery, and apple ahead of time. Store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Brown the Sausage: The seasoned ground sausage can be brown and crumbled ahead of time. Once cooked through, let it cool and transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
What To Serve With Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Main Dishes
- Learn how to Brine and Roast Turkey and serve this delicious cornbread stuffing alongside it.
- Once you try this Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, you may never do it any other way.
Vegetable Dishes
- Some Roasted Vegetables or Honey Glazed Carrots would go great alongside with stuffing.
- You also can’t go wrong with Super Easy Mashed Potatoes.
Desserts
- This Pumpkin Cheesecake rivals Cheesecake Factory’s version and is one of the tastiest holiday desserts ever!
- We also love this Pumpkin Pie recipe for the best one you and your family have ever had.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use any type of cornbread for this stuffing?
We recommend using a classic Southern-style cornbread for this recipe. It should not be overly sweet and should be baked and cooled at least a day in advance.
How do I know when the stuffing is done?
The stuffing is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How long does cornbread sausage stuffing keep?
This stuffing can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
This Cornbread Sausage Stuffing is the picture of golden deliciousness. It's slightly sweet, incredibly savory, and a favorite side dish at any holiday meal. You may never go back to bread stuffing again.
Ingredients
- 1 9×13 pan cornbread, made ahead of time; see notes
- 1 lb ground sausage, seasoned, no casings
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 large granny smith apple, peeled and choped
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 TB fresh sage, chopped
- 2-3 cups regular natural chicken broth
- 3 TB salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Cut cooled/air-dried cornbread into cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F with rack on lower middle position. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the sausage until cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- In same skillet, add onion, garlic, celery, apple, and 2 pinches of kosher salt and pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes.
- Add back sausage to the skillet and combine and cook 1 minute.
- Add sausage mixture to the bowl of cubed cornbread. Add 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and sage. Using rubber spatula, gently fold to combine well.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth and fold until mixture is moistened. Add more broth, a bit at a time, until desired moistness is reached. Mixture should feel damp throughout but not overly wet. Add more kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish, pressing down the top to even it out into the edges. drizzle with melted butter. Bake 35-45 minutes or just until top is golden brown.
Notes
- Prep Ahead Tip: Use cornbread from scratch or your favorite boxed brand, allowed to “air-dry” uncovered for several hours or overnight. This allows cornbread to dry out enough to soak in the broth, without becoming soggy.
- Prep Ahead Tip: Cooked sausage mixture can be wrapped airtight and chilled if you’d like to prep ahead, and finish the dish the next day.
- Leftover stuffing should be stored in an airtight container and can keep for a few days. Feel free to add dried cranberries to your dish if you like them. Make it vegetarian by using veggie broth and omitting sausage.
- This recipe is part of our Side Dishes Collection.
- Learn how to Brine and Roast Turkey and serve this delicious cornbread stuffing alongside it!
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg
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