Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Sausage Recipe

overhead view of southern sausage cornbread dressing

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Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Sausage Recipe

I make my Grandma Reid’s old fashioned Southern cornbread dressing every single Thanksgiving. Crispy chicken sausage gets folded right into homemade cornbread, and it bakes up custardy in the middle with a golden, crunchy top, and honey, it never makes it to leftovers.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: African American

Servings: servings

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Equipment

9x13 baking dish
10 Inch Cast Iron Skillet for the cornbread, then for the sausage

Ingredients

8 tablespoon salted butter
16 ounces sage sausage removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces, I used chicken apple sage sausage
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 yellow onion diced
2 celery ribs diced
3 tablespoon fresh sage leaves chopped finely
½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon garlic chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
5 heaping cups stale savory cornbread recipe in notes
1⅓ cup saltine crackers or 3 slices of stale toast
2 large eggs beaten
3 cups turkey broth
1 tablespoon salted butter for buttering the pan
5 fried sage leaves optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes, allowing the butter to absorb all the flavor.
8 tbsp salted butter, 16 ounces sage sausage
Add diced onion and celery to the sausage in the pan, sautéing until the onion is golden brown, around 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, sage, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant.
¼ tsp smoked paprika, 1 yellow onion, 2 celery ribs, 3 tbsp fresh sage leaves, 1 tbsp garlic, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp dried rubbed sage
In a large mixing bowl, crumble the cornbread and crackers (keep them sizable to avoid mushy dressing).
5 heaping cups stale savory cornbread, 1⅓ cup saltine crackers
Gently fold in the sausage mixture, making sure to scrape all the flavorful butter from the pan.
Mix in the beaten eggs then add the broth a little at a time to reach your preferred consistency, I like around 3 cups of broth. (For a wetter, more custard-y dressing, use more broth)
2 large eggs, 3 cups turkey broth
Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish generously and transfer the dressing mixture into it. Don’t smooth the top, leave it rough for extra crispy bits.
1 tbsp salted butter
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crispy. Garnish with fried sage leaves for an extra touch of fancy (optional). Enjoy!
5 fried sage leaves

Notes

Make ahead: Make the cornbread 1 to 2 days ahead and store it in a zip-top bag in the fridge so it stales faster. Cook the sausage and aromatics the day before, then assemble and bake the dressing the day of.
Freezing: Cool the baked dressing completely, wrap tightly, and freeze in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake at 350°F until heated through and crispy. You can also freeze it unbaked and bake from frozen, adding extra time.
Cornbread swap: Use stale savory cornbread only, not sweet. In a pinch, a savory boxed mix works, or dry your fresh cornbread on a baking sheet in a low oven.

Savory Cornbread Recipe

2 cups fine ground cornmeal
¾ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil, + 2 tablespoon oil for the pan

Preheat your oven to 450 °F/230ºC. Pour two tablespoons of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven for ten minutes.
While the skillet heats up, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking them together. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven with oven mitts. Tilt the pan slightly and swirl the vegetable oil around to coat the bottom and up the sides. Then, pour the batter into the skillet.
Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until the top of the cornbread turns golden brown and begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Let cool (and for this recipe, let it stale in the fridge in a zip top bag).

Nutrition