Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

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Author: Sally

Published: 11/08/2016Updated: 11/16/2022

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A couple shakes of dried parsley, thyme, sage, and pepper add unbelievable flavor to this cornbread stuffing recipe. Savory sausage, sweet pear or apple, and crunchy nuts add unbelievable texture. Follow my make-ahead or freezing instructions so there’s one less dish to worry about on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving turkey is great and all (and let’s not forget the Thanksgiving pies), but Thanksgiving side dishes are the crown jewels on the table. And whether it’s stuffed into the turkey or served on the side, you absolutely have to make thiscornbread stuffingpart of your feast. Salty, sweet, savory, crunchy, this stuffing has it all. Plus, it smells incredible as it cooks.

Tell Me About this Cornbread Stuffing

  • Texture:Light and moist with bite-size pieces of tender sausage, celery, pear or apple, and crunch pecans. I love the playful textures.
  • Flavor:Light and buttery with savory, sweet, and nutty notes. The recipe is a more flavorful version of my classic ,because I use cornbread instead of regular bread as the base. Seriously, it is packed with so many soul-warming herb flavors.
  • Ease: This dish is like 2 short recipes in 1. The cornbread comes first with all the ingredients prepared in a large bowl before being transferred to a baking pan. The stuffing is next and can be made in 3 easy steps. Make it in advance for ease and convenience!
  • Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes to make both the fresh cornbread and the stuffing (plus overnight cooling time for the cornbread). You can shave off 40-45 minutes by using store-bought cornbread.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2)

Spotlight on Some Cornbread Stuffing Ingredients

  • Cornbread: When it comes to cornbread, you can choose either homemade or store-bought. Use your favorite cornbread recipe or pick up a cornbread mix from the store. I love the super simple cornbread recipe below and urge you to try it, too. It’s just like my regular cornbread recipe.
  • Herbs: Use your favorite dried herbs and spices like parsley, thyme, and sage to brighten up the stuffing and add heaps of flavor.
  • Sausage: This adds savory richness to the dish. For a vegetarian option, replace the sausage with mushrooms or diced butternut squash. You can also use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • Pear or Apple: The fruit’s sweetness adds a nice contrast to the rich sausage and an additional textural layer. You can also use an apple instead of a pear.
  • Pecans: Pecans add just the right amount of soft crunch. I like to use pecan halves, but they can be replaced with chopped walnuts if you wish. Or leave it nut-free.

Overview: How to Make Cornbread Stuffing (Dressing)

The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.

  1. Make the cornbread. Preheat the oven. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, then transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake until golden brown. Cool completely.
  2. Cut cornbread into cubes + lightly toast.Slice cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes to toast them. Lightly toasting the cornbread helps it absorb some of the liquid ingredients, which prevents your stuffing from tasting soggy. Set aside to cool.
  3. Prepare stuffing. Whisk broth and eggs together in a large bowl.
  4. Cook down the flavors and herbs.Place onion, celery, and herbs into a large skillet. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add sausage, pear or apples, and pecans.
  5. Add broth + egg + cornbread.Mix everything together.
  6. Bake.Bake the stuffing in a casserole dish or stuff it into the turkey. If you’re stuffing the turkey, allow the cornbread stuffing to cool completely before using.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (3)
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (4)
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (5)
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (6)

Make it Ahead: The cornbread stuffing is best prepared ahead of time, which is great news considering most of us like to prep before the big meal. In fact, it tastes even BETTER when made ahead because the flavors have the chance to settle. Make and store in the refrigerator a few days ahead of time or freeze for up to 3 months. This is just one less thing to worry about before Thanksgiving dinner!

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Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (7)

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

★★★★★5 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 hours, 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Toasting the cornbread adds a delicious texture. To save time, toast 1 day ahead of time. Flavored with herbs, savory sausage, sweet pear or apple, and crunchy nuts, this cornbread stuffing is always the star of the Thanksgiving meal. See notes for freezing instructions.

Ingredients

Cornbread

  • 1 cup (120g) cornmeal
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour()
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/4 cup (85g) honey
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Stuffing

  • 2 and 1/2 cups (600ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 lb uncooked sausage
  • optional: 1 cup peeled and chopped pear or apple
  • optional: 1 cup (125g) pecan halves or chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Cornbread: (Prepare 1 day in advance!) Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Whisk all of the cornbread ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Set aside to cool overnight. Do not cover.
  2. Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Slice the cornbread into small 1-inch cubes. You will have about 7-8 cups cubes. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool as you prepare the stuffing. Turn the oven up to 375°F (1791°C).
  3. Stuffing: Whisk the broth and eggs together in a very large bowl. Set aside.
  4. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the skillet. Break up with a spoon, then add the pears. Cook until sausage is just about cooked through. Pour into the broth + egg mixture, including any liquid that may be in the skillet as well. Add the toasted cornbread cubes and pecans. Very gently fold everything together.
  5. Spoon stuffing into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until toasted on top. Sprinkle with additional parsley, if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the cornbread (step 1) 1 day in advance. You can also chop and toast it 1 day in advance (step 2). To save time, you can also chop the onion, celery, and pear 1 day in advance as well. Cover and refrigerate them overnight. You can also prepare the entire recipe through step 4, cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake the next day. For long storage, freeze the baked stuffing up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature, then reheat it ina350°F(177°C)oven for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through, before serving.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper |9×13-inch Baking Pan
  3. If using to stuff a turkey, skip step 5 and allow to cool completely after step 4. Then stuff into the turkey.
  4. Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required in the cornbread recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY sour milk by adding 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to make 1 cup total. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using. Whole milk is strongly recommended for moistest, richest texture, but you can use lower fat or nondairy milk in a pinch.

Keywords: cornbread, Thanksgiving, stuffing, dressing

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between southern cornbread and regular cornbread? ›

Northern cornbreads tend to be more cake-like, on the sweet side, with a finer crumb due to more flour in the mixture. Southern cornbread is flavored with bacon grease, and cooked in a cast iron skillet, a perfect side for barbecues, or chili. It also tends to be rather crumbly.

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

What is cornbread stuffing made of? ›

Combine the cooked onions and celery with the cornbread, egg, chicken broth, milk and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Place in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes; remove the foil and bake until golden brown, about 20 more minutes.

Why do southerners not put sugar in cornbread? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Is white or yellow cornmeal better for cornbread? ›

Traditional southern cornbread is a staple in the south and is classically made from white cornmeal, although yellow cornmeal can be used, and cooked in a pre-heated cast iron skillet.

Which cornmeal is best for cornbread? ›

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Is stuffing better with or without eggs? ›

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

Some common egg substitutes include:
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving, as it is written in many 16th-century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking.

What is Pepperidge Farm stuffing made of? ›

MADE FROM: ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR, YEAST, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: VEGETABLE OILS (CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER AND/OR PALM), MOLASSES, SPICES, CELERY, ONION POWDER, CALCIUM PROPIONATE TO EXTEND FRESHNESS, MALTED BARLEY ...

What is in Carrington cornbread stuffing? ›

From an old southern recipe handed down for over 100 years, cornbread and toasted white bread are blended with fresh celery, onions and diced hard boiled eggs. It is all bound together with savory vegetable oil and whole eggs. It is ready to be baked up to a golden brown and delicious stuffing.

How wet should stuffing be before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

How to dry out bread for stuffing quickly? ›

Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry. If your oven only goes down to, say, 250°, start by baking for 30 minutes, then check the dryness of a cube or two.

How do you moisten cornbread? ›

Melted Butter-Butter gives excellent flavor and tenderness. Oil- Oil adds to the moisture factor to create a cornbread that stays moist for days! Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds flavor and moisture to the cornbread.

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