Make-Ahead Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

Looking for the perfect side dish to complete your holiday feast? This Make-Ahead Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage is a flavorful, crowd-pleasing favorite. Made with Southern-style cornbread, savory sausage, and a blend of fresh herbs, this dish brings a comforting Southern twist to traditional stuffing.

Whether preparing for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, this stuffing can be made beforehand, saving you stress on the big day. It's the ideal combination of crispy, golden edges, and moist, savory insides that will have your guests coming back for seconds!

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• Making Southern Cornbread
• Ingredients for Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage
• Making the Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage
• Other Delicious Stuffing Recipes
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Making Southern Cornbread

1. For the cornbread, I used buttermilk, unsalted butter, eggs, yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, Kosher salt, and vegetable oil (for brushing the cast iron skillet)

2. I started by whisking together the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs.

3. Then, I whisked together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in an 8-cup measuring cup.

4. Next, I added the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring everything together with a wooden spoon just until combined.

5. While making the cornbread batter, I placed the 10-inch cast iron skillet in a 425°F oven. I removed the hot pan from the oven and brushed it with vegetable oil.

6. I added the cornbread batter to the cast iron skillet and smoothed the top. Then, I baked the cornbread in the preheated 425°F oven for about 30 minutes until it was golden brown.

7. I removed the cornbread from the oven and, once it was cool, transferred it to a wire rack to cool completely. I made the cornbread the day before making the stuffing because day-old cornbread works best.

Ingredients for Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

• The Cornbread: I used my recipe for Southern-Style Cornbread, which I duplicated above, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes.

• The Sausage: For the sausage, I used Jimmy Dean Hot sausage.

• The Veggies: I used the traditional celery and onions for the veggies, sautéd in melted unsalted butter

• The Liquid: The liquid consisted of chicken broth and two large eggs. The eggs helped bind the ingredients together.

• Flavorings: Rather than poultry seasoning, which is sometimes used in stuffing, I chose fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (think Scarborough Fair!). I also added Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• The Rest of the Ingredients: I added apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan after cooking the sausage and veggies. Finally, I included toasted pecan pieces.

Making the Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

1. The first thing I did was transfer the day-old cornbread cubes to a rimmed half-sheet pan. I baked it in a 250°F oven for an hour, tossing it after 30 minutes to dry it out.

2. Then, I cooked and crumbled the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it was no longer pink, about 10 minutes. I transferred the cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towels to allow it to drain.

3. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the butter. When melted, add the celery and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the dried-out cornbread, drained sausage, and softened celery and onions to a large bowl.

5. Return the skillet used to cook the onions and celery to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the apple cider vinegar. Cook, scraping up the bits, for a minute.

6. Add the vinegar to the bowl with the cornbread, sausage, onions, and celery. Then add 1 ½ cups of chicken broth, toasted pecans, minced parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, Kosher salt, and pepper. Carefully toss to combine the ingredients, being careful not to break up the cornbread.

7. Whisk the remaining 1 ½ cups of chicken broth with two large eggs.

8. Pour the egg/chicken broth mixture over the stuffing ingredients and carefully toss to combine. The mixture will be wet.

9. Transfer the Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Smooth out the top; cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes. May be prepared in advance up to this point.

10. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil. Return to the 350°F oven, uncovered for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

11. Garnish with minced parsley and serve.

Make-Ahead Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage is the ultimate holiday side dish that combines convenience with irresistible flavor. Its rich blend of cornbread, sausage, and fresh herbs makes it a must-have for any festive gathering.

Prepare it in advance and enjoy more time with your loved ones while serving a delicious, homemade dish in the finest Southern tradition. Yum!

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