Homemade Cornbread and Italian Sausage Stuffing
A hearty holiday stuffing featuring from-scratch cornbread made with buttermilk-soaked cornmeal, combined with mild Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and classic aromatics. The cornbread gets toasted for extra texture before mixing with sauteed vegetables, walnuts, tart apple, and dried cranberries. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, this stuffing offers a Southern twist on the traditional side dish with its sweet cornbread base and savory sausage filling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse corn meal
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons bacon fatvegetable shortening1:1vegetarian
less flavor
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups celery plus leaves, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound Italian mild or sweet sausage, removed from casings
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped fine
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped fine
- 1 quart chicken, turkey or vegetable stock, divided
- ¾ cups walnuts, roughly cut up
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- 1
Soak cornmeal in buttermilk overnight covered at room temperature
- 2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place bacon fat in 9-inch square pan in oven
- 3
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add both sugars and set aside
- 4
Beat eggs in medium bowl
- 5
Mix melted butter with honey, add to eggs, then stir into soaked cornmeal
- 6
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir
- 7
Remove hot pan from oven, swirl bacon fat, pour in batter and bake 30 minutes until center springs back
- 8
Reduce oven to 275 degrees
- 9
Cool cornbread slightly, cut into 2-inch cubes, toast on sheet pan 20 minutes, flip and bake 20 more minutes
- 10
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- 11
Heat oil and butter in large saute pan over medium high heat, add onion, celery and salt, saute 2 minutes
- 12
Lower heat to medium, add sausage, garlic, sage and rosemary, saute until sausage is cooked through
- 13
Add half the stock, scrape up brown bits and remove from heat
- 14
Combine toasted cornbread with walnuts, apple and cranberries in large bowl
- 15
Add sausage mixture to cornbread mixture using wooden spoon
- 16
Add remaining stock and beaten eggs, mix to combine
- 17
Spray 9x13 baking dish, pour in stuffing and cover with parchment and foil
- 18
Bake 55-60 minutes until cooked through and hot in center, removing foil last 15 minutes for browning if desired
Tips
Soaking cornmeal overnight in buttermilk creates a tender, moist cornbread that holds up well to the stuffing mixture without becoming mushy.
Toast the cornbread cubes thoroughly to create texture contrast - they should be golden and slightly crispy on the outside but still tender inside.
Use hot bacon fat in the pan when making cornbread for extra flavor and to create a crispy bottom crust that adds texture to the final stuffing.
Good to Know
Refrigerate covered up to 2 days before baking or store baked stuffing up to 4 days
Make cornbread up to 2 days ahead and cube, or prep entire stuffing mixture and refrigerate before final baking
Serve hot immediately after baking alongside roasted turkey, chicken, or pork
Common Mistakes
Don't skip soaking cornmeal overnight to avoid dense cornbread
Toast cornbread cubes thoroughly to avoid mushy stuffing texture
Let sausage cook completely to avoid undercooked meat in final dish
Substitutions
FAQ
Can I use store-bought cornbread instead of homemade?
Yes, use 10 cups of cubed store-bought cornbread. Toast the cubes in a 275-degree oven for about 15 minutes until slightly dried out for better texture.
How long will leftover stuffing keep in the refrigerator?
Properly stored leftover stuffing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.
Can I freeze this stuffing before or after baking?
Yes, freeze unbaked stuffing up to 1 month or baked stuffing up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before baking or reheating respectively.