Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup (120g) cornmeal (fine or medium ground)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Stuffing
- 2 and 1/2 cups (600ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (130g) diced onion
- 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) sliced celery
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (454g) uncooked mild Italian sausage
- optional: 1 cup (125g) pecan halves
Instructions
- 1
Cornbread
- 2
(Prepare 1 day in advance!) Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Whisk all of the cornbread ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 22–24 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Set aside to cool overnight. Do not cover.
24 min - 3
Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. You will have about 7–8 cups of cubes. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake for 10 minutes, or until they’re slightly crisp. Set aside to cool as you prepare the stuffing. If you’re baking the stuffing on its own and not inside a turkey, turn the oven up to 375°F (191°C).
10 min - 4
Stuffing
- 5
In a very large bowl, whisk the broth and eggs together. Set aside.
- 6
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, thyme, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the skillet. Break up with a spoon. Cook for about 4 minutes, until sausage meat is just about cooked through.
4 min - 7
Pour sausage mixture into the broth + egg, including any liquid from the skillet. Add the toasted cornbread cubes and pecans, if using. Very gently fold everything together.
- 8
If using to stuff a turkey, allow to cool completely before stuffing. If baking the stuffing separately like I did in these photos, spoon stuffing into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp on top.
40 min - 9
Garnish with fresh herbs before serving, if desired. Serve warm.
