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Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Date:
Jan. 13, 2025, 4:47 p.m.

Makes about 12 C, serving 10-12. The stuffing is baked outside of the turkey in a baking dish. Soak cornbread in an egg, stock, and half-and-half mixture for one hour for moisture and added sautéed onions, celery, and fresh thyme and sage for flavor. Pork sausage added nice pockets of texture and a meaty punch to our cornbread stuffing recipe without overpowering the balance of flavors. To make the stuffing a day in advance, increase both the chicken stock and half-and-half by ¼ C each and refrigerate the unbaked stuffing 12-24 hours; before transferring it to the baking dish, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes so that it loses its chill.

Ingredients

  • 12 C cornbread broken into 1" pieces, include crumbs, spread in even layer on 2 baking sheets, and dried in 250-degree oven 50-60 minutes
  • 3 C chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 C half-and-half
  • 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
  • 8 Tb unsalted butter, 1 stick, plus extra for baking dish
  • 1½ lb bulk pork sausage, broken into 1" pieces
  • 3 medium onions, chopped fine, about 3 C
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped fine, about 1½ C
  • 2 Tb fresh thyme leaves, minced
  • 2 Tb fresh sage leaves, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tb kosher salt
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1
  1. Place cornbread in large bowl
  2. Whisk together stock, half-and-half, and eggs in medium bowl; pour over cornbread and toss very gently to coat so that cornbread does not break into smaller pieces. Set aside.
  3. Heat heavy-bottomed, 12" skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1½ minutes
  4. Add 2 Tb butter to pan and swirl to coat pan bottom
  5. When foam subsides, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage loses its raw color, 5-7 minutes.
  6. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl
  7. Add about half the onions and celery to fat in skillet; sauté, stirring occasionally, over medium-high until softened, about 5 minutes.
  8. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with sausage.
  9. Return skillet to heat and add remaining 6 Tb butter; when foam subsides, add remaining celery and onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  10. Stir in thyme, sage, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add salt and pepper.
  11. Add this mixture along with sausage and onion mixture to cornbread and stir gently to combine so that cornbread does not break into smaller pieces.
  12. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Step 2
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400F.
  2. Butter 10 by 15" baking dish (or two 9" square or 11 by 7" baking dishes).
  3. Transfer stuffing to baking dish; pour any liquid accumulated in bottom of bowl over stuffing and, if necessary, gently press stuffing with rubber spatula to fit into baking dish.
  4. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes.