I take my sausage dressing seriously, boos. That comes from growing up with Auntie Rose’s dressing on the table, because once you’ve had hers, the bar is HIGH. This sausage dressing starts with her buttery homemade cornbread (the best in town!), then I mix in sausage, veggies, and plenty of herbs. It’s got that moist middle and golden top I love in classic Southern cornbread dressing, with lots of sausage. Making the cornbread from scratch takes a lil extra love, but it’s worth it, y’all!
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Southern Sausage Dressing Ingredients
For the Cornbread
- Dry ingredients: Self-rising cornmeal, all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar. Make sure your cornmeal says self-rising on the bag, because plain cornmeal doesn’t have the leavening and salt this batter needs.
- Wet ingredients: Whole milk, eggs, sour cream, and melted salted butter. Bring the milk, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature so they blend smoothly, and let the melted butter cool before mixing it in.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil to cook the cornbread in the skillet.
For the Dressing
- Cornbread and stuffing mix: I use Auntie Rose’s homemade cornbread and dry stuffing mix for the base. Her cornbread is worth making from scratch boos, but store-bought savory cornbread works if you’re short on time. Just don’t grab the super sweet kind. Crumble it fine for a softer dressing, or leave a few big chunks if you like more texture.
- Sage sausage: I use Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage because I love that sage flavor with cornbread. Regular mild breakfast sausage works too, or use hot breakfast sausage if you like the kick. Keep the sage listed in the recipe either way, and drain any excess grease after browning.
- Vegetables and butter: Onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic, all cooked in butter. Onion and celery are a must for me. Without those two, dressing ain’t dressing!
- Wet ingredients: Cream of mushroom soup, unsalted chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stick with unsalted broth since the sausage, soup, and stuffing mix already have salt.
- Herbs and seasonings: Black pepper, poultry seasoning, sage, and thyme give the dressing that familiar holiday flavor. A blend of dried sage, thyme, marjoram, and a lil rosemary can replace poultry seasoning. You can also swap the thyme for dried marjoram. Go easy on extra sage y’all! The sage sausage and poultry seasoning already have some.
How to Make Sausage Cornbread Dressing
These step-by-step photos show how to make cornbread dressing with sausage, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Sausage Cornbread Dressing Recipe
1. Mix the dry cornbread ingredients
Whisk the self-rising cornmeal, flour, and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients
Mix the milk and beaten eggs together in a separate bowl.
3. Finish the cornbread batter
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then whisk in the sour cream followed by the melted butter until combined.
4. Pour the batter into a hot skillet
Heat the cast-iron skillet, add the vegetable oil, and carefully pour in the batter so it sizzles when it hits the pan.
5. Bake the cornbread until golden
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, then cool briefly in the skillet before turning it onto a rack to cool completely.
6. Brown the sage sausage
Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it into small crumbles, and drain any excess grease.
7. Crumble the cooled cornbread
Break the cooled cornbread by hand into a large mixing bowl, leaving the crumbs as fine or chunky as you like.
8. Sauté the vegetables
Melt the butter and cook the onion, celery, and green bell pepper until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
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9. Combine the cornbread with the veggies and the sausage
Mix just until evenly distributed so you don’t mash the cornbread.
10. Mix in the remaining dressing ingredients
Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, dry stuffing mix, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce, then gradually add the chicken broth until evenly moistened.
PRO TIP: Add the broth a little at a time and let the cornbread soak it up before adding more. Some cornbread needs more liquid than others, so stop when the mixture is moist and scoopable. This ain’t no cornbread soup!
11. Spread the dressing into the baking dish
Spread it evenly, pour the reserved broth around the edges, and cover tightly with foil.
12. Bake sausage dressing until golden
Bake covered first, then uncover and continue baking until the top is golden and the center reaches 180°F.
Full Sausage Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Sausage Dressing Recipe
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Equipment
- 9-inch cast iron skillet
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
For the Cornbread
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 2 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature and beaten
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the Dressing
- 1 lb Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
- 1 cup minced onion
- 1 cup minced celery
- ¼ cup minced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 6 oz stuffing mix
- 32 oz unsalted chicken broth + ½ cup
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Prepared cornbread completely cooled and crumbled
Instructions
For the Cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and position the rack in the middle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and beaten eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Whisk in the sour cream, then the melted butter. The batter will be slightly runny.
- Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil and carefully pour in the batter. It should sizzle when it hits the skillet.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool in the skillet for about 20 minutes, then turn the cornbread onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
For the Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brown the Jimmy Dean sage sausage in a skillet, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Break the cooled cornbread by hand into fine crumbs in a large roasting pan or large mixing bowl.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 1 minute.
- Add the sautéed vegetables and cooked sausage to the crumbled cornbread. Add the cream of mushroom soup and stuffing mix and mix thoroughly.
- Add the poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 32 ounces chicken broth. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Transfer the dressing to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add the remaining ½ cup broth around the edges, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for approximately 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. The center should reach an internal temperature of 180°F.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Divide leftovers into shallow airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You don’t need to wait for the whole pan to cool completely on the counter.
- Freezer: Freeze baked dressing in airtight containers or tightly wrapped portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Add a splash of broth if the dressing looks dry, cover with foil, and reheat at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F. Uncover toward the end if you want the top crisp again.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the veggies are tender. The onions should look translucent, and the celery and bell pepper should be easy to pierce with a fork before you mix them into the cornbread.
- Stretch the batch with white bread. If you need more dressing, mix in some torn, stale white bread instead of making more cornbread. Add extra broth and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Don’t pack it into the dish. Spread the dressing evenly without pressing it down so it doesn’t bake dense.
- Check the middle before calling it done. The top can brown before the middle is done. If that happens, loosely cover it with foil and keep baking.
Serving Ideas
- Thanksgiving Plate: Serve this cornbread stuffing with sausage alongside my fried turkey, giblet gravy, and green bean casserole. Pour everyone a glass of Thanksgiving punch and save room for sweet potato pie!
- Xmas Supper: Pair it with honey glazed ham, baked candied yams, and Southern green beans. Add a bowl of Christmas punch to the table, then slice up some pecan pie for dessert.
- Sunday Dinner: Make my peach pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, and garlic green beans. No holiday required boos!
Recipe Help
You can bake the cornbread, brown the sausage, and sauté the veggies the day before. Let the cornbread cool completely and store it airtight. Refrigerate the sausage and veggies in separate airtight containers, then mix everything when you’re ready to bake. Prep those ahead, and you’ve got an easy sausage stuffing recipe to put together on the big day!
It could have too much broth or need more time in the oven. Keep baking uncovered so the extra moisture cooks off. If the top is already brown, loosely cover it with foil while the middle finishes cooking.
Add some warm broth (start with a small amount!!) over the dry spots, cover with foil, and pop it back in the oven until hot.
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