Cornbread Dressing

Classic stuffing is a must-have on the Thanksgiving dinner table alongside roast turkey and creamy mashed potatoes. That being said, some years I crave something a little different than the classic side. Enter: cornbread dressing. My cornbread dressing has all of the beloved, classic Thanksgiving flavors, plus Italian sausage for a heartier touch. It features the perfect crumbly texture, isn’t dry, and pairs well with all the rest of my favorite savory (and sweet!) sides. Here’s everything you need to know to make it.

How To Make Cornbread Dressing

INGREDIENTS

Cornbread

• Cornmeal: I lean toward cornmeal with a softer, more tender, almost cake-like crumb, so fine-ground yellow cornmeal is my go-to.
• Flour: Provides structure and helps achieve the ideal just-crumbly-enough texture for the cornbread.
• Sugar: I like a little sweetness in my cornbread. Plus, the sugar helps keep the cornbread tender, so it’s win-win in my book.
• Baking Powder: Our primary leavening agent—the egg plays a role too—baking powder ensures a light, fluffy cornbread.
• Egg: Serves as a binder, while adding moisture and richness.
• Buttermilk: Contributes a lovely tang and activates the baking powder that leavens the cornbread.
• Butter: Many cornbread recipes call for butter and oil—the former for flavor, the latter texture. But I found I could double-down on flavor without sacrificing texture through a combination of finely ground cornmeal and buttermilk.

Dressing

• Italian Sausage: Takes the cornbread in a super savory and hearty direction and adds the sweet, anise-like flavor of fennel to the mix. I prefer to use sweet Italian sausage, but hot Italian sausage is a delicious alternative for those who like it spicy.
• Onion: Furnishes the dressing with still more sweet savoriness.
• Celery: At once savory, earthy, and vaguely anise-like, celery has a wonderful affinity with pork sausage.
• Sage & Thyme: For me, nothing is so redolent of Thanksgiving than the rich aroma of these herbs.
• Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth moistens the cornbread crumbs and adds a boost of umami to the dressing
• Eggs: Serve as a binder, helping to ensure our cornbread coheres.
• Milk: Adds richness and still more moisture.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, prepare the cornbread. Preheat your oven to 375° and spray an 8" square baking pan or a 9" round cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Grab a large bowl and whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until no dry spots remain and you have a thick batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cornbread until pale golden on top, your kitchen smells great, and a toothpick, skewer, or cake tester inserted into the center emerges clean; this should take about 30 minutes. Let the cornbread cool completely in the pan, then cut it into 2" pieces.

While the cornbread is cooling, get the sausage dressing going. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the sausage, breaking it up into chunks with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl; reserve the skillet but do not wipe it out—we want those browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan!

Heat the butter in the same skillet and cook the onion and celery, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the broth, scraping up those precious browned bits from bottom of pan (the fancy term for this is “deglazing”). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before adding to the bowl with the sausage.

Add the cornbread, eggs, and milk to the sausage mixture and season liberally with salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine, breaking up the cornbread so you have a mixture of larger chunks and smaller crumbs.

Grease a 13" x 9" baking dish with butter, then transfer the dressing mixture to the baking dish.

Bake the dressing until the top is golden and crispy and the center is set, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, scatter chopped parsley over the dressing.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What is the difference between stuffing and dressing? You might be wondering (like I was), what IS the real difference between stuffing and dressing? Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. Dressing is stuffing that is cooked separately from the turkey (i.e., not stuffed into the carcass of the bird). So, nowadays, most "stuffing" is actually dressing, technically.
• Can I substitute cornbread from a box mix? While homemade cornbread is preferred for this dressing, using boxed mix or store-bought cornbread is totally okay. Bake it up, let it cool, then chop it into cubes (you can also bake your cornbread the night before for a cleaner cutting experience).
• Can I make this vegetarian? If you're foregoing meat this year, omit the sausage or try out our cornbread stuffing for a vegetarian option (just swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth).

Make Ahead

This dish is a real savior as a make-ahead Thanksgiving side. Transfer the dressing mixture to the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 day before you're ready to bake. As the oven preheats, let the dressing come to room temp on the counter. Bake until set in the middle and crispy on top. If the top isn't getting as crispy as you'd like, feel free to run it under the broiler for a few minutes—just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Storage

Keep leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.