Cornbread Stuffing
Did you know stuffing is the most popular side dish for Thanksgiving? Yep, in a 2019 poll, three-quarters of Americans said they were serving it, and more than half of Americans said it’s their favorite — narrowly edging out mashed potatoes. No matter how you measure it, Americans just love stuffing.
What this poll doesn’t show, though, is that stuffing doesn’t mean the same thing to all Americans. A lot of us love the classic bread stuffing, but some prefer a stuffing made with rice, wild rice, or even my cauliflower stuffing. And for Southerners, well, the one and only way to make stuffing is with cornbread.
Now, cornbread stuffing is a bit more complicated to make than the usual kind. Ideally, it should be made with homemade cornbread, so you need an extra day in advance to make the cornbread before turning it into stuffing. But trust me — when you blend the crumbled cornbread with sausage, apples, onion, celery, and well-seasoned whole-wheat bread cubes, magic happens. Once you taste how it bakes up into a golden mixture that’s crunchy on the outside yet melts in your mouth, the extra work will all be worth it.
Is this really stuffing, or is it dressing?
- There isn’t a clear line between stuffing and dressing. It’s sort of a case of tomato, tomahto. Some people call it dressing if it’s cooked outside the bird and stuffing if it’s inside, but you can use either word. I usually stick with stuffing to avoid confusing with salad dressing.
Could I make this with store-bought cornbread? Or use a mix?
- You could, but to be honest, it’s not the same. Don’t get me wrong, it’s better than not having cornbread stuffing at all. But you will get the absolute best flavor and texture if you bake the cornbread yourself.
Does the cornbread really have to be made the day before?
- Not necessarily. That’s just a way to split up the workload so it’s easier. But if you’re in a hurry, you could make the cornbread in the morning and turn it into stuffing in the evening. It just needs time to cool first.
Is this Cornbread Stuffing good with anything besides turkey?
- Oh, absolutely! It’s also great with roast chicken, pork, steak, or really any kind of meat. It’s even hearty enough to serve it as a main dish with veggies on the side, like maybe my Southern Collard Greens. It’s way too good to save for Thanksgiving!
Cornbread Stuffing
- CORNBREAD DIRECTIONS: To save time, and to allow the bread to dry out, I like to prepare cornbread a day ahead.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. In a medium bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- n a small bowl, mix buttermilk, egg, and oil. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8×8” pan. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Cook completely and let sit uncovered on counter overnight to dry out.
- STUFFING DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350℉. Cut cornbread into ¾” cubes. Place 8 cups cornbread cubes and 4 cups whole wheat bread cubes onto a large cookie sheet. Cook for 25 minutes, tossing gently halfway through cooking time.
- While bread is toasting, scramble fry sausage in a medium skillet for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain fat from skillet and discard.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and add onions, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add apples and cook for another 4 minutes or until apple begins to soften.
- In a large bowl, combine toasted cornbread and bread cubes, sausage, onion mixture, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, and chopped parsley. Pour broth over mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Place stuffing in a greased 9×13” pan and cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pan and return to oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
More Thanksgiving Favorite Recipes!
- Cauliflower Stuffing
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders
- Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Pumpkin Pie
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
Corn Bread Stuffing
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Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup oil
Stuffing
- 4 cups whole wheat bread cut in ¾” cubes
- 1 lb. mild italian pork sausage casings removed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 granny smith apples peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
Cornbread
- To save time, and to allow the bread to dry out, I like to prepare cornbread a day ahead.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. In a medium bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, egg, and oil. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8x8” pan. Cook for 20 minutes. Cook completely and let sit uncovered on counter overnight to dry out.
- Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Cut cornbread into ¾” cubes. Place 8 cups cornbread cubes and 4 cups whole wheat bread cubes onto a large cookie sheet. Cook for 25 minutes, tossing gently halfway through cooking time.
- While bread is toasting, scramble fry sausage in a medium skillet for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain fat from skillet and discard.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and add onions, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes over medium high heat. Add apples and cook for another 4 minutes or until apple begins to soften.
- In a large bowl, combine toasted cornbread and bread cubes, sausage, onion mixture, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, and chopped parsley. Pour broth over mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Place stuffing in a greased 9x13” pan and cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pan and return to oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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