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    Home » Recipes » Side dish

    Cornbread and Sage Sausage Dressing

    Published: Nov 19, 2013 · Modified: Nov 13, 2023 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    That stuffing looks good - but you HAVE to try cornbread dressing.

    A friend challenged me after I posted my Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Cornbread dressing? After some research, I found out it’s a Southern tradition, loaded with sausage.

    (I'm a Yankee, of course - how else would I miss out on Conrbread Dressing?)

    A bowl of cornbread dressing

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    That will work - cornbread and sausage sounds like a splendid combination. The recipes are similar to my usual stuffing recipes. Saute aromatics, toss with dried bread - cornbread - cubes, stir in beaten eggs as a binder, bake, and brown.

    As a blogger, I have to cook two Thanksgiving dinners. One is on Thanksgiving; the other is a few weeks ahead of time, so I can test my recipes and post my pictures. This was the dressing I served in our early Thanksgiving. I got a few funny looks when I put it on the table, but the proof was in the tasting, and once everyone took a bite, it was a hit.
    Except for my one son. He picked out chunks of sausage and brushed the cornbread off. Oh, well, can’t please everyone.

    Equipment

    • 11“ by 15” foil pan (you can use a large baking dish if you're cooking in the oven)
    • Aluminum foil

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • 2 onions, minced
    • 2 stalks celery, minced
    • 1 red bell pepper, minced
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 pound sage sausage
    • ¼ cup minced parsley leaves
    • 2 pounds stale cornbread, cut into 1 inch cubes (8–10 cups)
    • 3 to 4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade), amount depends on how dry the cornbread is
    • 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (if chicken broth is homemade - don’t add more salt if chicken broth is store bought)
    • 2 eggs, beaten

    Directions

    Sautéing onions, celery, and peppers

    Sauté the aromatics

    Melt the butter in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Sauté until the onions are soft, about five minutes.

    Cooking sausage with sautéed aromatics

    Brown the sausage

    Add the sausage to the pan with the onions and cook, breaking the sausage into bite sized pieces. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the parsley, and remove from the heat.

    Mixing ingredients for a bowl of cornbread stuffing

    Mix the Dressing

    Put half the cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Scrape the onion and sausage mix from the frypan into the bowl, then stir until evenly mixed. Pour in half the chicken stock, add the pepper (and salt if using homemade stock), and stir until all the cornbread is damp. As you stir, the cornbread will compact itself; add the rest of the cornbread and stock in batches, stirring to pack it down. Stir in the beaten egg, then pour the dressing into the foil pan.

    An aluminum foil pan full of cornbread dressing, ready for the oven or grill

    Cook the Dressing

    Oven Instructions
    Crimp a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan. Put the dressing in a preheated 350°F oven. Cook with the foil covering the dressing for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the top of the pan and cook until the dressing is browned and crispy on top and 150°F in the middle, about 15 more minutes.

    OR: Drip Pan Instructions (for rotisserie or grill)
    Crimp a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan, then cut slits in the pan so the turkey drippings can drip through into the dressing. The grill should be set for indirect medium heat (about 350°F), with a drip pan under the turkey. When the turkey has 1 hour left to cook, replace the drip pan with the pan full of dressing. Pour any drippings in the drip pan onto the sheet of aluminum foil covering the dressing; it will drip through the slits into the dressing. Cook with the foil covering the dressing for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the top of the pan and cook until the dressing is browned and crispy on top and 150°F in the middle, about 15 more minutes.

    Serve the Dressing

    Carefully remove the dressing from the oven or grill, scoop the dressing into a serving dish, and serve. If the dressing needs to sit while you carve the turkey, cover the pan with foil to keep the dressing warm.

    A foil pan of cooked cornbread dressing
    Print
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    A bowl of cornbread dressing

    Cornbread and Sage Sausage Dressing Recipe


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    4 from 1 review

    • Author: Mike Vrobel
    • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    • Yield: 16 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    The traditional Southern side dish, in the oven or a drip pan in your grill.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • 2 onions, minced
    • 2 ribs celery, minced
    • 1 red bell pepper, minced
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 pound sage sausage
    • ¼ cup minced parsley leaves
    • 2 pounds stale cornbread, cut into 1 inch cubes (8–10 cups)
    • 3 to 4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade), amount depends on how dry the cornbread is
    • 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (if chicken broth is homemade - don’t add more salt if chicken broth is store bought)
    • 2 eggs, beaten

    Instructions

    1. Sauté the Aromatics: Melt the butter in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Saute until the onions are soft, about five minutes.
    2. Brown the Sausage: Add the sausage to the pan with the onions and cook, breaking the sausage into bite sized pieces. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the parsley, and remove from the heat.
    3. Mix the Dressing: Put half the cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Scrape the onion and sausage mix from the frypan into the bowl, then stir until evenly mixed. Pour in half the chicken stock, add the pepper (and salt if using homemade stock), and stir until all the cornbread in the bowl is damp. (As you stir, the cornbread will compact itself.) Add the rest of the cornbread and stock in batches, stirring to pack it down. Stir in the beaten egg, then pour the dressing into the foil pan.
    4. Cook the Dressing, Oven Instructions: Crimp a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan. Put the dressing in a preheated 350°F oven. Cook with the foil covering the dressing for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the top of the pan and cook until the dressing is browned and crispy on top and 150°F in the middle (measured with an Instant Read Thermometer), about 15 more minutes.
    5. OR Cook the Dressing, Drip Pan Instructions (for rotisserie or grill): Crimp a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan, then cut slits in the pan so the turkey drippings can drip through into the dressing. The grill should be set for indirect medium heat (about 350°F), with a drip pan under the turkey. When the turkey has 1 hour left to cook, replace the drip pan with the pan full of dressing. Pour any drippings in the drip pan onto the sheet of aluminum foil covering the dressing; it will drip through the slits into the dressing. Cook with the foil covering the dressing for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the top of the pan and cook until the dressing is browned and crispy on top and 150°F in the middle (measured with an Instant Read Thermometer), about 15 more minutes.
    6. Serve: Carefully remove the dressing from the oven or grill, scoop the dressing into a serving dish, and serve. If the dressing needs to sit while you carve the turkey, cover the pan with foil to keep the dressing warm. Uncover, serve, and enjoy!

    Notes

    This makes a LOT of dressing, enough for 12 to 16 people. If you are serving 8 people or less, you can cut the recipe in half, and cook it in a 9-inch by 13-inch foil pan or 3 quart baking dish.

    Tools

    11-inch by 15-inch foil pan or a large baking dish (4.8 quart) if you're cooking in the oven

    Aluminum foil

    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 60 minutes
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

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    What do you think?

    Questions? Other ideas? Native born Southerners who think I'm a clueless Yankee? Talk about it in the comments section below.

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    Comments

    1. SHIRLEY says

      November 29, 2024 at 12:45 am

      I made this recipe; the dressing was delicious, and my family really enjoyed it. I mixed the ingredients all at one time, because I don't like a lot of steps. I will make this recipe again. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        November 29, 2024 at 9:10 am

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
    2. Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says

      November 20, 2013 at 5:57 pm

      You're welcome!

      Reply
    3. Mark says

      November 20, 2013 at 5:56 pm

      I'm going with the orange and spices recipe. It was a huge hit last year, and is being heavily requested. Thanks, Mike.

      Reply
    4. Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says

      November 20, 2013 at 3:08 pm

      Thanks for the info!

      Reply
    5. rustyredcab says

      November 20, 2013 at 2:44 pm

      Cornbread can be gluten free. Easy to find/make gluten free cornbread. I make both cornbread and regular stuffing. Traditionalists are happy and the GF people have a great option too. Cornbread stuffing is one of those few gluten free alternatives that are not a compromise. It is a big hit with everyone.

      Reply

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    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner!

    I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

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