Cornbread Stuffing

Warm and cozy, my cornbread stuffing is a fantastic take on a classic stuffing recipe, and just the scrumptious side dish for anyone who loves cornbread. Prepared with my moist, homemade cornbread recipe, as well as tasty morsels such as leeks, celery, mild Italian pork sausage, sage, thyme and parsley, this recipe brings a taste of something special to your holiday spread!

When cornbread and stuffing get together

While it's almost impossible for me to choose a favorite side when it comes to a holiday spread, in our household, stuffing is definitely at the very top of the list.

Every year we get super excited to decide which stuffing I will prepare for us to gleefully dig into, from my classic stuffing recipe, my sweet-savory cranberry stuffing, or my herb stuffing.

However, this year, I'm going in a whole new direction with our stuffing side dish...

Enter this cornbread stuffing recipe, prepared with my homemade cornbread, which is moist and irresistibly buttery, then combined with a few simple, yet utterly classic and delicious bells and whistles to create a mildly sweet-savory and herby stuffing.

My cornbread stuffing boasts lots of corn flavor, and is a perfect accompaniment to my roasted turkey breast, my green bean casserole, my roasted garlic mashed potatoes, my gravy, and my cranberry sauce, yet has loads of its own unique flavor and texture that just can't be beat.

So if you and your loved ones are cornbread lovers, and you're on the lookout for a twist on your usual stuffing recipe, then this cornbread stuffing is for you!

My recipe for cornbread stuffing

While you can certainly use store-bought cornbread to make this stuffing recipe to cut some of the prep and time involved, I must tell you that nothing compares to using my homemade cornbread in this side dish...

Sure, preparing the cornbread from scratch requires some extra steps, as well as preparing it the day before you want to assemble and bake off the stuffing (the cornbread cubes need to dry out a bit overnight and get toasted the next day), but it's well worth that added effort.

I'm a firm believer that it's the cornbread that makes the difference between a truly scrumptious cornbread stuffing and one that's a bit dry and bland. And because my homemade cornbread is made with corn kernels, butter and tenderizing buttermilk, it has an innately moist, tender crumb and rich flavor which takes this stuffing over the top.

Besides the homemade cornbread cubes, I also caramelized some leeks, celery and mild Italian pork sausage (you can sub spicy, if preferred) to add into the mix, as well as some additional melted butter, a touch of chicken stock, a couple of eggs to bind things together, plus a trio of fresh sage, thyme and parsley.

This cornbread stuffing recipe is at once savory yet ever so slightly sweet from the corn kernels, and bakes up deliciously golden-brown, herby and moist, with that classic cornbread flavor and texture we crave!

Here's a glance at my cornbread stuffing recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, the day before I plan to assemble and bake my stuffing, I prepare and bake off my cornbread. I allow it to cool, cut it into medium-large cubes, and allow those cubes to dry out a bit on a sheet pan (uncovered) overnight.
2. The next day, I toast my cornbread cubes in my preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, just until golden.
3. I saute my aromatic ingredients along with my pork sausage, then add that to the toasted cornbread cubes, along with my liquid/binding ingredients.
4. Then, I very gently toss everything together just until combined, spoon into my prepared baking dish, and bake the cornbread stuffing (first covered, then uncovered) until deeply golden-brown and puffed.
5. After the cornbread stuffing comes out of the oven, I allow it to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, then finish it with a sprinkle of a few more fresh herbs before serving.

Recipe

Cornbread Stuffing

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This cornbread stuffing is a scrumptious side for the holidays, brimming with sweet Italian sausage, plus an array of herbs and aromatics!

Category: Side
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition info: 621 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (includes bake time for cornbread)
Total time: 2 hours

Cornbread Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal (medium grind)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, room temp
• 2 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted, melted butter
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup sweet corn kernels (canned or frozen and thawed), blotted well of excess moisture

Stuffing Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 3 medium leeks (white and pale green part only), halved and sliced
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 pound mild Italian pork sausage
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) melted, unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons (heaping) chopped, fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 1 tablespoon (heaping) chopped, fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish

Preparation:

1. The day before you plan to assemble your stuffing, prepare your cornbread: begin by gathering and prepping all of your cornbread ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the cornbread, preheat the oven to 425°, and line a 9 by 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper that slightly overhangs, and lightly mist with cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda, and set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk with the eggs until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and the honey, and whisk to blend until smooth.
5. Add in the dry ingredients, and whisk them into the wet just until they are combined and fairly smooth, taking care not to over mix the batter. Fold in the corn kernels.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 20 to 21 minutes, just until baked through and lightly golden.
7. Allow the cornbread to cool just enough so it can be handled, then turn it out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
8. Once cool, cut the cornbread into medium-large, roughly 1 ¼ inch cubes, and place the cubes onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer to dry out until the next day. Do not cover.
9. The next day, when ready to prepare your stuffing, gather and prep all of your stuffing ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
10. Preheat your oven to 375°, and lightly mist a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
11. Once the oven is hot, place the cornbread cubes into the oven to toast for about 12 minutes, until a light golden-brown. Remove from oven and carefully place the cubes into a large bowl.
12. Then, place a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in the sliced leeks and celery, plus a pinch of salt and black pepper, and saute until golden-brown and softened, about 7 to 8 minutes.
13. Add in the pork sausage, and using a wooden spoon, break it up to form a crumble. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until the sausage is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add in the garlic and the Italian seasoning, and stir that in until aromatic, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
14. Next, add this leek/celery/sausage mixture (along with any juices) directly to the toasted cornbread cubes in the bowl. Then, drizzle in the melted butter.
15. Whisk together the chicken stock and the eggs, and pour that into the cornbread stuffing mixture as well, followed by the 2 tablespoons sage, 1 tablespoon parsley and 2 teaspoons thyme leaves. Using a large spoon or clean hands (my favorite), very gently toss the cornbread cubes with the ingredients to combine well, taking care to not break up the cubes too much (some will break up, and this is fine).
16. Turn the cornbread stuffing mixture into prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, uncover, and bake an additional 15 minutes, until the stuffing is a deep golden-brown on top.
17. Allow the cornbread stuffing to sit for 15 minutes, then garnish with a small sprinkle of the sage, thyme and/or parsley, and serve.

Tips & Tidbits for my cornbread stuffing recipe:

• Make the homemade cornbread ahead: Homemade cornbread makes all the difference in this stuffing recipe. My recipe has corn kernels, loads of buttery flavor, and a tender, moist texture which is delicious for this dish. Please note that you will need to plan on preparing the cornbread at least a day before you plan on assembling and baking off the stuffing, or even up to 3 days (even more is fine, if you plan on freezing it, then thawing). The cornbread cubes need time to dry out and then toast, to help them soak up the rest of the goodies and maintain a light, moist texture for the stuffing.
• Store-bought cornbread: If you'd like to use good quality, store-bought cornbread as a shortcut, you can certainly do that. You will need roughly 2 ¼ pounds (2 pounds, 4 ounces) of cornbread for this.
• Leeks for subtle flavor, though you can sub onion: I love leeks here, as they are a fantastic fall ingredient, and they bring some nice green color and subtle flavor compared to a classic onion. However, you can absolutely substitute a diced, medium-size white or yellow onion here.
• Mild Italian pork sausage, or spicy for kick: To keep things sweet-savory with this cornbread stuffing, I'm opting for mild or sweet Italian sausage here. But if you like a bit of heat, you can sub spicy Italian sausage, or your favorite kind.

Craving more comfy-cozy and mouthwatering holiday sides like this one? Check out my Stuffing Recipe, or my recipe for Cranberry Stuffing, Herb Stuffing, Polenta Casserole, Cornbread Casserole, my Gravy Recipe, my recipe for Cranberry Sauce, or even my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars!