Fresh herbs, savory sausage, and homemade cornbread stuffing mean unbelievable flavor in this from-scratch cornbread stuffing recipe. Follow my make-ahead or freezing instructions so there’s one less side dish to worry about on Thanksgiving!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and more helpful success tips.
One reader, Natalie, commented: “Could this BE any more delicious? Yum! Made this for Thanksgiving and the taste was so familiar… it genuinely took me back to having dinner at my grandmama’s house, and I haven’t lived in the States for 26 years! It’s safe to say that I will not be waiting until Thanksgiving to make this again. ★★★★★“
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 this cornbread stuffing part of your feast.
Salty, savory, herby, and crisp, 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 and celery, and big buttery chunks of cornbread.
- Flavor: The recipe is a more flavorful version of my classic sausage & herb stuffing, because I use cornbread instead of regular bread as the base. So many savory, soul-warming flavors to love!
- Ease: This dish is like 2 short recipes in 1. The cornbread comes first, with all the ingredients mixed in 1 bowl. Then comes the stuffing, which comes together in 3 simple 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.
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 and comes together in just 1 mixing bowl.
- Herbs: I use fresh herbs including parsley, thyme, and sage for ideal flavor, but you can substitute dried. See recipe below.
- 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.
- Pecans (Optional): For extra flavor and texture, you can add pecans. The pictured dish doesn’t include them, but I often make this Thanksgiving side with pecans. Add them when you’re mixing everything together before baking.
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.
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.
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.
Prepare stuffing. Whisk broth and eggs together in a large bowl.
Cook down the flavors and herbs. Place onion, celery, and herbs into a large skillet. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add sausage and cook mostly through.
Mix everything together, and then spread into a large greased casserole dish.
Bake until golden brown.
This cornbread stuffing is actually *best* prepped ahead of time because the flavors have more time to settle and mingle together. Store the assembled stuffing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days ahead of time, or freeze for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature and then bake.
Yes, absolutely. I usually use the homemade recipe below, and you can make it a couple days ahead of time. To save even more time, use store-bought cornbread mix.
If you’re stuffing the turkey, allow the cornbread stuffing mixture to cool completely before stuffing into the turkey.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fresh herbs, savory sausage, and homemade cornbread make for unbelievable flavor in this from-scratch cornbread stuffing recipe. Follow my make-ahead or freezing instructions below so there’s one less side dish to worry about on Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup (120g) cornmeal (fine or medium ground)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 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 cup (130g) diced onion
- 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) sliced celery
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (454g) uncooked mild Italian sausage
- optional: 1 cup (125g) pecan halves
Instructions
- 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 lightly browned. Set aside to cool overnight. Do not cover.
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. You will have about 7–8 cups of cubes. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake for 10 minutes, or until they’re slightly crisp. Set aside to cool as you prepare the stuffing. If you’re baking the stuffing on its own and not inside a turkey, turn the oven up to 375°F (191°C).
- Stuffing: In a very large bowl, whisk the broth and eggs together. Set aside.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, thyme, sage, parsley, 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. Cook for about 4 minutes, until sausage meat is just about cooked through.
- Pour sausage mixture into the broth + egg, including any liquid from the skillet. Add the toasted cornbread cubes and pecans, if using. Very gently fold everything together.
- If using to stuff a turkey, allow to cool completely before stuffing. If baking the stuffing separately like I did in these photos, spoon stuffing into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp on top.
- Garnish with fresh herbs before serving, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Before Baking: 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 and celery 1 day in advance as well. Cover and refrigerate them overnight. You can also prepare the entire recipe through step 5, cover and refrigerate overnight, or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, and then continue with step 6.
- Freezing Baked Stuffing: Cover and freeze the baked stuffing for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature, then reheat it in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20–25 minutes, or until warmed through, before serving.
- 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
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required in the cornbread recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute 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.
- Update in 2024: This recipe used to call for 1 chopped pear or apple. If you’d like to add either for a little sweetness, add the chopped fruit to the skillet when you add the sausage in step 4.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Awesome recipe!!! At first I though wait to much liquid but it was perfect.
Thank you
Could I add homemade giblet stock instead of broth? My stuffing always turns out dried out and crumbly as leftover and wondering what you thought about adding in some cream into the stock as well.
Hi Natasha, a homemade giblet stock should work here. We haven’t tested the addition of cream here—we find it stays nice and moist as written. Let us know how you like it!
Thank you for the recipe! Could this be made in a crockpot or slow cooker to save oven space? If so, what timing would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Carlie, we haven’t tested this stuffing in a crockpot, but let us know if you do. You’ll likely miss the crispy texture that the oven gives the stuffing.
can i use store bought corn bread packaged cubes (Pepperidge Farms for example)?
Hi Rhonda! Those have seasonings added already and are smaller bits of cornbread. We recommend sticking with a fresh batch of cornbread to make this stuffing (but cornbread from a mix should be fine if you’re looking for a shortcut!).
Can this recipe be halved?
Hi Pilar, you can, but it can be a bit tricky to accurately halve an egg (crack, whisk, and then use half). It may be easier to make the full batch and freeze leftovers for another time.
Hi there, I’ve got 10 coming for T-day dinner. How many servings will this recipe make? Apologies for asking if I missed it in the intro.
Hi Drew, this recipe serves about 8-10 generous servings.
Sounds divine! I’m going to make it. I need to buy the cornbread, which is readily available and delicious here in Mexico. How much will I need if you could give me an estimate. Thanks in any case for the recipe.
Hi Bob, our cornbread is made in a 9-inch square baking pan, so pre-made cornbread of a similar size should be great. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, I am using a gluten free cornbread mix from Krusteaz do I need to make any adjustments? Also would creamed corn work in this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Tina! We haven’t tested it, but a gluten free cornbread should work here. We’re unsure of adjustments needed. We haven’t tested adding cream corn, but we do enjoy adding a can of drained corn to our cornbread recipe. Let us know what you try!
Hi, thank you very much! I will let you know how it turns out.
Can you use ground turkey in place of sausage?
Hi Nece, absolutely!
If I make this without the sausage, do I need to alter the recipe in any way?
Thanks!
Hi Ann! You can replace the sausage with mushrooms or diced butternut squash.
Thank you!!!
Can this be made without the egg?
Hi Bekah, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes here. Let us know if you do, or you could search for an egg-free cornbread stuffing recipe.
Can I add sourdough bread to the cornbread mixture
Hi Suzette, we haven’t tested the cornbread recipe using sourdough. You could use sourdough bread in place of the cornbread in this recipe or in our other stuffing recipe.
Can i leave out the sausage and not have to add anything else to the recipe?
Hi! One box cornbread for this recipe? Also, I wanted to add chopped cranberries (I defrosted frozen whole cranberries) for some tartness- how much would you recommend?
Hi LA, yes, you can use a box of store-bought cornbread mix to make the cornbread instead. You could swap some of the optional pecans for the chopped cranberries. If the cranberries are already defrosted, be sure to blot out as much excess moisture as possible before using. If you have dried cranberries, those would be the better option.
Hey Sally. My cornbread is only about 1 inch high? Is this correct? I can’t see it making 7-8 cups? Any advice? Thanks for all that you do !!
Hi Brittney! How does the texture seem? Did you make any adjustments? That’s strange, but you can always make another batch so you have enough cornbread to make this stuffing!
Thanks for getting back to me so soon! I did not adjust anything, I weighed the ingredients and checked expiry dates of my baking powder/soda. I am unsure of the texture as I’m letting it rest overnight in the pan. I will make a second one and see how that goes. I hope it doesn’t affect the stuffing. Thanks again!
Best thing to do with dressing is to serve leftovers with poached or fried eggs. The yolks soaking into the cornbread… yum!