Easy Make Ahead Savory Cornbread Stuffing

I'm a Thanksgiving fan, especially for the classic turkey with all the trimmings. One of my top holiday sides is stuffing. After some experimenting, I've settled on a favorite: this easy make-ahead savory cornbread stuffing. It's simple to make and loaded with onions, celery, apples, cranberries, and country sausage – it's basically a meal in itself.

Why you will love this recipe for Cornbread Stuffing (Dressing)

1. Flavor Fusion: The blend of cornbread, onions, celery, apples, cranberries, and country sausage creates a symphony of flavors that'll dance on your taste buds. It's like a savory party in your mouth.
2. Easy Perfection: Simple ingredients, straightforward steps. No need for kitchen acrobatics. This recipe makes you look like a culinary genius without the stress.
3. Versatile Star: Sure, it's the stuffing. And while the turkey may be the champ on Thanksgiving, but don't box it in. This cornbread stuffing is so hearty; it could steal the spotlight at any dinner table, any time of the year.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe for Cornbread Stuffing (Dressing)
• Why make Dressing instead of Stuffing?
• Why I prefer Cornbread Dressing 
• My Savory Cornbread Journey
• Should I use fresh cornbread, or boxed?
• How to Incorporate both Fresh and Dried Fruits for Maximum Flavor
• Should you add an egg to this dressing or not?
• Wine Recommendation
• Easy sides to complete the meal
• Other "Stuffing" worthy dishes:
• Easy Make-Ahead Savory Cornbread Stuffing (The Recipe)

Why make Dressing instead of Stuffing?

Stuffing vs Dressing

Just so we are clear, what I am making is not technically stuffing. It's technically dressing.

What's the difference?

Stuffing is made inside the bird.

A dressing is made outside of the bird.

This is dressing made outside of the bird.

But you could certainly stuff it inside the bird.

If you so desire.

But of course, it's all up to you. The cook.

Why I prefer Cornbread Dressing 

1. Most illnesses you read about after turkey dinners with stuffed birds are, that the stuffing didn't get done to proper temperatures, so raw turkey juice is not at safe levels. Take the dressing out of the bird = problem solved.
2. Dressing cooked inside the bird gets mushy. I love serving mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes as one of my other sides. So I have a soft, mushy component to my meal - I don't need another one. Dressing cooked outside of the bird (and without eggs) has a different mouthfeel.
3. The turkey will cook faster without the stuffing inside. Plus you can cook it at a higher temperature. Depending on the size of your turkey, that could be the difference of 2 - 3 HOURS.
4. You can crisp it up. You can't get any crisp stuffing inside the moist environment of the bird. But you can in the oven! We like a little toasty edge to our stuffing, so I cook it near the bottom of the oven, and then, by removing the foil for 15 or 20 minutes at the end, the top gets just a little toast too. If you prefer no crunchiness, then cook in the middle of the oven, and leave the foil on for the full 45 minutes.

My Savory Cornbread Journey

Thanksgiving IS one of my favorite holidays of the year. It's just all about sharing food with friends and family. No gifts, no expectations.

Throughout the years, I have had many stuffings. In my childhood, my Swiss grandparents made an in-bird stuffing that was rice, mixed with sausage, and seasonings, along with onion and celery. It was really good and for years I thought it was the ONLY kind of stuffing there was.

Then I was introduced to in-bird bread stuffing. It took me a while to wrap my head around cubes of soggy bread coming out of the bird. The texture just didn't seem right. And the early versions I had consisted of bread, onion, celery, and chicken stock with a bit of dried thyme thrown in.

Not really a flavor "bomb".

As time marched forward, I was offered the choice of stuffing prepared in-bird or outside of the bird in a casserole dish. I preferred the casserole. But there was still something off.

It was when I started cooking my own Thanksgiving meals for the family that I realized - I didn't like the cubes. And even when my sister-in-law went to all the work of making homemade cornbread and cubing it up and drying it for days and days...I still didn't like the cubes.

It probably has something to do with that whole rice texture that began with my grandmother's version.

As I developed this recipe for a savory baked cornbread dressing, I thought of all the components I loved from my grandmother's version. Mostly the use of fresh herbs, and of course, the country sausage. The country sausage gives the dressing a unique rich rustic flavor. And of course, I love love love not only the flavor of but the smell of onions and celery being slowly sautéed in butter - it's such a comforting smell.

Should I use fresh cornbread, or boxed?

When it comes to the cornbread part of the program - you could make your own cornbread, dry it, and then crush it. But I really like the flavor and texture of the boxed stuffing mix - Pepperidge Farm is my preference for a prepared box stuffing because it's already partially seasoned and it's perfectly dry to start. But you could use any brand.

If you decide to make your own cornbread, do not make a sweet cornbread. Omit all sugar from the recipe. And then make sure you dry it thoroughly. You don't want to start with moist bread or you will end up with mush once you're done with the recipe.

And we're not going for mush here. We are going for dressing.

You can, of course, make this recipe with either cubes or crushed stuffing mix. As I said, I prefer the texture/feel of the crushed, so when I make this easy savory Cornbread Stuffing, I always get the style that is broken up. And if I can only get cubes...out comes my rolling pin as I crush the heck out of them...until they are all broken up.

How to Incorporate both Fresh and Dried Fruits for Maximum Flavor

What is more perfect with onions, celery, and country pork sausage than fresh apples? Not much in my opinion. Any firm apple will work - red will add a bit of sweetness, while green will be a bit more tart.

I have tried both sautéing the apples with the onion and celery before adding them to the stuffing mix and adding them uncooked. I find that uncooked keeps the apple's texture and flavor more intact, so don't bother pre-cooking them. Just add them raw.

As time passed, I thought about adding dried fruit because I often make this stuffing as a side for my Perfect Simple Roast Chicken. Since I'm not generally serving cranberries with that, I started adding dried cranberries to the stuffing. The cranberry adds a nice sweet/tart flavor that I really enjoyed. I've also added dried tart cherries. Both work great.

It's just one more level of flavor.

Should you add an egg to this dressing or not?

Not.

OK...why you might ask.

I'll tell you why. I've tried recipes with the added egg, and it's amazing how different the texture of the stuffing changes. Some recipes have you adding as many as 5 eggs! That turns stuffing into pudding IMHO.

If I want bread pudding - I'll make bread pudding.

The claim is it adds moistness. And it does. But it also gives it a custard-like texture. So I simply add enough chicken stock to get the moistness I want.

Then I have cornbread stuffing - not cornbread pudding.

Wine Recommendation

Try pairing this delightful cornbread dressing with a versatile red like Pinot Noir. Its light to medium body and fruity notes can complement the diverse flavors in the dish without overpowering. Steering away from Pinot Noir - let's go for a bold red Zinfandel. Its bold and robust character can hold its own against the savory elements of the cornbread stuffing. It's like the dynamic duo your taste buds didn't know they needed.

If you prefer a white let's bring in the Chardonnay. A lightly oaked Chardonnay could be a stellar match. Its buttery and smooth characteristics can complement the richness of the cornbread stuffing without stealing the show. It's like a culinary duet in a glass. Going for a drier route? Opt for a dry Riesling to keep it classy. Its clean, mineral notes will still play well with the savory goodness of the cornbread stuffing. It's like the sophisticated cousin of the sweet Riesling, here to elevate your dining experience.

Easy sides to complete the meal

Other "Stuffing" worthy dishes: