Our cornbread and sausage dressing is a small illustration of how family traditions come together. Andrew brought his mother’s Alabama cornbread tradition to the table. I brought the conviction that dressing ought to include sausage. We have been getting along on the subject ever since. Celery, onion, parsley and sage supply the familiar flavors. Red bell pepper adds a welcome flash of color to a meal that can be decidedly brown. This is a generous recipe, intended for two baking dishes and a crowd. For a smaller gathering, halve all the quantities and use one dish.
Start with the Cornbread
Bake the cornbread a day ahead and let it cool completely before cutting it into cubes. It is one task you can finish while the kitchen is still relatively peaceful. The dressing itself bakes separately from the turkey, which also makes serving it simpler.
Make Room for Seconds
This is dressing with a substantial personality, not a little garnish beside the bird. I like it with the bright contrast of cranberry citrus relish and something green on the plate. The full recipe follows, including the cornbread that starts it all.
CORNBREAD AND SAUSAGE DRESSING
Our cornbread and sausage dressing combines a family cornbread recipe with celery, onion, sage and red pepper for a generous Thanksgiving side.
Ingredients
- For the Cornbread
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2⅔ cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2⅔ cups whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the pans
- For the Dressing
- 6 large sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, plus butter for the dishes
- 4 cups chopped celery
- 4 cups chopped onion
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried sage
- Both pans of cornbread from the recipe above, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 cups chopped Italian parsley
- 1 cup chopped celery leaves
- 8 large eggs
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken stock, divided
- 4 teaspoons salt, or less to taste if your stock and sausage are salty
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Bake the Cornbread
- Step 2 Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease and flour two 9 by 9 by 2 inch metal baking pans.
- Step 3 Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, eggs and melted butter until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Divide between the pans.
- Step 4 Bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. This can be made the day before
- Step 5 cover the cooled cornbread and keep it at room temperature.
- Step 6 Make the Dressing
- Step 7 Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until cooked through. Set aside. Butter two 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dishes.
- Step 8 Work in two batches. Melt ½ cup butter in the skillet. Add half the celery, onion, bell pepper and sage. Sauté for about 15 minutes, until tender without browning.
- Step 9 Put half the cubed cornbread in a large bowl. Add half the sausage, half the parsley, half the celery leaves and the cooked vegetables.
- Step 10 Whisk 4 eggs with 1¼ cups stock, half the salt and half the pepper. Stir into the cornbread mixture and transfer to one baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients for the second dish.
- Step 11 Heat the oven to 350°F. Cover the dishes with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for about 30 minutes, until browned on top and the center reaches 165°F. Check the temperature rather than relying on time alone. Serve hot.
For another savory holiday side, try our sweet potato and leek gratin. And our recipe for Cranberry Sauce is hard to beat. If your menu is already set, keep this dressing in mind for the next roast dinner that deserves something special alongside it.
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