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Cornbread Sausage Dressing

Cornbread sausage dressing combines homemade cornbread, pork sausage, and savory herbs in a baked Southern-style side. The cornbread is dried in the oven first, then folded with broth and eggs for a moist center and golden top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 52 minutes
Cooling and resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 42 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cornbread
  • nonstick cooking spray for greasing
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 eggs large, divided (2 for the cornbread and 2 for the dressing)
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
dressing
  • 1 lb bulk pork sausage
  • 1 yellow onion medium, diced
  • 3 ribs celery diced
  • 1 tsp rubbed sage
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan
  • 1 large rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 12-inch skillet
  • 1 6-quart mixing bowl

Method
 

Make the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs with the buttermilk and melted unsalted butter.
  4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool the cornbread in the pan for 10 minutes.
  7. Loosen the edges and turn the cornbread out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Crumble the cornbread onto a large rimmed baking sheet.
  9. Bake at 300°F for 25–35 minutes, stirring once, until dry.
  10. Remove the baking sheet and raise the oven temperature to 350°F.
Assemble and bake the dressing
  1. Cook the bulk pork sausage in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F.
  2. Transfer the sausage to a 6-quart mixing bowl, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
  3. Add the diced yellow onion and celery to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until softened.
  4. Stir in the rubbed sage, dried thyme, and black pepper for 30 seconds.
  5. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the sausage.
  6. Whisk the low-sodium chicken broth with the remaining 2 eggs in the bowl.
  7. Add the crumbled cornbread and gently fold until evenly moistened.
  8. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes while you lightly grease the 9x13-inch pan again with nonstick cooking spray.
  9. Spread the mixture in the pan and cover tightly with foil.
  10. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
  11. Uncover and bake for 15–20 minutes more, until the top is golden and the center reaches 160°F.
  12. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Dry the crumbled cornbread until it feels dry before mixing so the dressing absorbs the broth evenly. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free variation, replace the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.