Name: Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 sticks butter; 5 stalks celery (diced); 1 large white onion (diced); 1/4 cup fresh chopped sage; 2 tbsp thyme; 2 tbsp rosemary; 1 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 16 oz raw mild italian sausage (we love the kind in the big tube); 9 heaping cups cornbread (cubed (I used two Jiffy box mixes)); 5 heaping cups white sandwich bread (cubed (lightly toasted or about 2 days old)); 1 egg; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 cup whole milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper

This cornbread sausage stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that will remind you of traditional holiday dinners, surrounded by family and good food!

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Ready In: 60 minutes
Serves: 12 servings
Main Ingredients: butter, celery, white onion, fresh chopped sage, thyme, rosemary, dried parsley, salt
Why You'll Love It: This cornbread sausage stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that will remind you of traditional holiday dinners, surrounded by family and good food!

Classic cornbread sausage stuffing

Every step of making this cornbread sausage stuffing will feel like what Thanksgiving is supposed to feel like. Celebrate this winter holiday with all homemade ingredients.

Cornbread stuffing is a classic southern recipe! This recipe stays true to the vintage recipe as possible. Real butter, crispy celery, fresh and aromatic sage, and real cornbread - all mixed with Italian sausage.

The result is a stuffing recipe that will have everyone cleaning their plates and begging for seconds! As it bakes, you'll be tempted to sneak a spoonful. It fills your kitchen with the most tantalizing aromas.

Sweet rosemary and earthy sage, all with pepper sausage - it's incredible!

The best part about this cornbread sausage recipe is that it isn't any more difficult to make than the bagged kind. It has a few more ingredients and steps, but it's so simple to follow that beginning cooks will be able to make it perfectly the first time.

Ingredients needed

The ingredients in this stuffing recipe are the best because they are simple and most likely ones that you already have on hand in your pantry. Cooking it can be really easy if you allow it to be!

I love to use recipes that don’t require fancy ingredients or anything that you wouldn’t already have at home. All you really need for this stuffing is:

Butter: Use two entire sticks of real, unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, just use less salt later.
Celery and Onion: These are the aromatics to use as the base of this dressing recipe. You'll need to dice up the entire white onion and 5 stalks of celery.
Sage: Fresh herbs will elevate the flavor of the stuffing, so chop up ¼ a cup of sage.
Thyme and Rosemary: You only need 2 tablespoons of dried thyme and 2 tablespoons of rosemary because it has a bolder aroma.
Parsley: This has a stronger flavor, so add just a teaspoon.
Salt: This enhances all the other flavors in the stuffing, so mix in one teaspoon.
Pepper: Mix in half as much pepper, so about ½ a teaspoon.
Mild Italian Sausage: Use about 16 ounces of raw sausage; we love the kind in the big tube
Cornbread: This is the main ingredient in the stuffing, so you'll need nine heaping cups cornbread, cubed. I used two Jiffy box mixes!
Bread: You'll add in 5 heaping cups of cubed white bread.
Egg: This is the emulsifier that holds all the ingredients together, so add one large egg.
Chicken broth: Add one cup of either chicken or vegetable broth.
Whole milk: Mix in one cup of milk. If you want this to be dairy free, use coconut milk!

Photo of ingredients for Cornbread Sausage Stuffing with labels.

Kitchen tools required

You don’t need any fancy kitchen gadgets to make this simple cornbread stuffing recipe. Grab the following tools before you begin.

9x13 Casserole Dish
Large Dutch Oven
Extra Large Bowl
Wooden Spoon

For measuring, you will need 1 cup, ¼ cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, and ½ teaspoon.

How to make the best cornbread sausage stuffing

This best-ever cornbread sausage stuffing is so easy to make! You’ll want to start by making the cornbread.

Just follow the directions on the box. Set this aside and follow the rest of the instructions.

Next, preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish.

In a large dutch oven, heat the butter. Add in celery and onions once hot, then add in sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until celery and onions have softened.

Add in the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart into small pieces.

Next, turn off the heat once the sausage is cooked through.

In a very large bowl, add cubed cornbread and white bread. Pour the sausage mixture over the top.

Crack an egg directly onto the mixture, then pour milk, salt, and pepper into the broth. Gently mix together, tossing until coated but not over mixing. Cornbread is very delicate, and we don’t want it to crumble apart fully.

Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes until golden brown.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

Here are some questions people often ask about making homemade stuffing. If you don’t see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

There aren't any differences between stuffing and dressing when you look at the ingredients or how it tastes. Basically, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey's cavity.

Dressing is the same thing, but it is baked in a casserole dish!

According to that definition, this recipe is more of a dressing than a stuffing.

How many people will this cornbread stuffing recipe serve?

This cornbread sausage stuffing makes enough to serve 12 people. You will probably have some leftovers.

How do you make it taste spicier?

If you want it to have more heat, use spicy sausage instead of mild sausage. You can also sprinkle some red pepper flakes into it to increase how spicy it tastes.

The more red pepper flakes you add, the more it will light up your tastebuds, so add it liberally!

Storing leftovers

The best way to store leftover cornbread stuffing is to place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. Only keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. After three days, the cornbread and other bread will start to soak up the other ingredients and soften too much.

Try these Thanksgiving recipes next!

If you liked this cornbread sausage stuffing, you’re going to love my other popular Thanksgiving recipes! Here are some of my favorites. Which will you make for your family?

All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn

Erin Antoniak