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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 1/4 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 1/2 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!
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.
- 9×13 Casserole Dish
- Large Dutch Oven
- Extra Large Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 1/4 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 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?
- Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
- Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Oven Roasted Honey Carrots
- Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Cranberry Sauce
All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
This cornbread sausage stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that will remind you of traditional holiday dinners, surrounded by family and good food!
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- If you are making cornbread, make sure to read directions on box and make ahead of time.
- In a large dutch oven, heat butter. Add in celery and onions once hot, then add in sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir and let cook about 5 minutes until celery and onions have started to soften.
- Add in the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart into small pieces.
- Turn off heat once sausage is cooked through.
- In a very large bowl, add cubed cornbread and white bread. Pour sausage mixture over top.
- Crack an egg directly onto mixture, then pour in broth, milk, salt and pepper. Gently mix together, tossing until coated but not over mixing. Cornbread is very delicate and we don’t want it to fully crumble apart.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
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Melina says
If you’re reading this, that means you’re considering making this. Stop what you’re doing, go get the ingredients and MAKE IT! I had never made homemade stuffing before. Not only was it simple and easy, but the best dish of thanksgiving. I was so mad my husband ate most of the leftovers. Considering making it again just to eat for no reason. And definitely making it for Christmas as well. SO. FREAKING. GOOD!!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Melina, so happy you all loved it so much! 🙂
Kimberly says
made this for thanksgiving dinner and was sooooooooo goood! my first time trying to elevate from boxed stuffing and was so easy yet soooo delicious! will be on thanksgiving menu for many to come!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kimberly, so glad you loved it!!
Alysa Bodolus says
This was a hit at our thanksgiving this year! Everyone loved the cornbread spin on stuffing.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alysa, so glad you loved it!
Heather says
So good! Tastes even better the second day!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Heather, so happy you loved it! 🙂
Stephanie says
This was delicious and so incredibly easy to make! I prepped it the night before and was concerned it may be soggy the next days, but it was absolutely perfect and we had leftovers for a few days too!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Stephanie, so happy you loved it!
teresa says
I made this for thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. Great as leftovers as well.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Teresa, so happy everyone enjoyed it!
Emily says
This stuffing is SOO good and in my opinion very versatile! I ate it for breakfast the next day with a dippy egg ontop and it was perfection
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Emily, so happy you loved it!! 🙂
Meaghan says
Made this for a friendsgiving and the whole thing went (between 8 of us LOL!). This is so incredible and tastes like thanksgiving in a dish. I was originally intimidated by the recipe but its not as hard as it may look! 10/10!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Meaghan, so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Mandy says
Unbelievable stuffing!!! And so easy to make. I modified to be gluten and dairy free and was a crowd pleaser (used coconut milk, gf bread and gf cornbread). I’ll be making this every thanksgiving going forward!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mandy, so glad you loved it and made it your own!!
Katie says
I have tried other cornbread stuffing recipes before and they fall short, this delivers!!! Will now be a regular rotation in my thanksgiving recipe rolodex. Thank you Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Katie, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂
Maddie says
Made a double batch the night before Thanksgiving. After 30 mins in the oven I took some juices from my turkey as it was resting and added to the stuffing to keep from getting dry, popped it in for another 40 mins and it was perfect! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Maddie, so happy you loved it so much and made it your own! 🙂
Erin N says
We made this last night and of course taste tested before we serve it. It’s delicious!! So easy to make too. We have vegetarians in the family so we actually omitted the sausage completely. It still taste and came out amazing!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Erin, so glad you loved it and made it your own! 🙂
Colleen says
I realized I bought regular pork sausage instead of Italian sausage. Is that substitution okay for this recipe?
Erin says
Hi Colleen, that should have been fine! How did it come out?
Chrissy says
Omg-Absolutely delicious!! I followed the instructions and am so glad I did. It was perfecti.Thank you Erin❤️
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Chrissy, so glad you loved it! 🙂
Kristen says
Hi Erin- can I make this entire recipe and bake it today and then just reheat tomorrow?
Erin says
Hi Kristen, yep of course! Let me knw how it comes out!!
Nicole Rodriguez says
Hiiii! 🙂 have never made stuffing before so I have a couple of questions. Would it be best to make the cornbread a day ahead of time and leave it out to dry out? Do you have any brand recommendations for the white bread? Like will any regular loaf work? Panicking a little 🤣 thank you!
Erin says
Hi Nicole, you can use the cornbread as is! I used a regular white sandwich loaf. Let me know how it comes out for you!
Christina says
Should the cornbread be dried out first?
Erin says
Hi Christina, nope – cornbread is good as is. Let me know how yours comes out!!
Carol says
Can this be made a day ahead. Also we have one vegetarian. Can I pull out some of it before adding sausage?
Erin says
Hi Carol, yes of course and yep that works too!
Melanie says
Hi there! Thanks for sharing, this looks delicious. Is it possible to substitute the whole milk with anything that is dairy free without ruining the recipe?
Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Melanie, yep you should be good to use another type of DF milk. I haven’t tried it yet, so let me know what you use and how it comes out!!
Chrissy says
I can’t wait to try this! I am making my Thanksgiving grocery list rn & just have a couple of questions. What kind of white bread did you use?how many loaves should I get to add up to 5 cups (did you let it get stale or use it fresh)? Thanks! This looks delicious.
Erin says
Hi Chrissy, yay and it is not even a full loaf of white bread! I just used standard white bread and did not toast or leave out, but you definitely can! let me know how yours comes out!!