Name: Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 10 cups toasted cornbread cubes (*see note below); 1 pound ground sausage; 2 cups chopped onion (white or yellow); 2 cups chopped celery; 2 sweet apples (cored and chopped (no need to peel)); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning; 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock

ThisCornbread Dressingis a flavor-packed holiday side dish that’s simple to prepare and delicious to enjoy! Made with cornbread, sausage, onions, and apples, this stuffing is full of fall flavors and is majorly easy to whip up for your Thanksgiving feast or Christmas dinner.

ham mashed potatoes green beans and stuffing on a white plate.

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a little dressing action. And this one is a great option if your family lovescornbreadlike mine does. My cornbread dressing recipe is a little out of the box compared totraditional dressings, but we absolutely love thecrumbly, crunchy texture, flavorful ground pork, and medley of fall produce favoritesthat are included in this dish.

Thesweet and savory flavorsof cornbread dressing are so delicious alongside turkey,mashed potatoes,gravy, and all your other favorite holiday dish staples. Plus, with apple, celery, and onion, theflavors are rich and well-roundedfor an ideal dressing situation that you’ll fall head over heels for!

17 Best Cornbread Recipes Ever!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I used myhomemade cornbread recipeas a base for this stuffing. It is seriously theBEST cornbread ever,so you know this dish will be a favorite!
The best part aboutcornbread dressingis it’sso incredibly simple to make! You can make the cornbread ahead of time and even double my cornbred recipe andfreeze it for even easier prep.
This recipe takes the stress out of holiday prep with asimple, flavorful, and quick dressing.

Recipe Ingredients

Cornbread –cubed and toasted
Ground sausage
Onion –white or yellow
Celery
Apples –any color but they do need to be sweet!
Dried poultry seasoning
Chicken or turkey stock

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples

Brown the sausage and add onions, celery, and apples.
Add dried cornbread cubes and sausage mixture to a bowl.
Sprinkle the poultry seasoning over the sausage, drizzle with chicken broth, and stir.
Place cornbread mixture in the bottom of a baking dish and bake until golden brown.

Recipe FAQs

How do you dry cornbread for dressing?

Take your favorite cornbread, and cut it into 2-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for about an hour or until the bread crumbs are dried out a bit and browned. They won’t be as dry as traditional bread cubes.

Do you put eggs in cornbread dressing?

You can certainly add eggs to this dressing recipe if you prefer a stickier, bound-together stuffing consistency of traditional stuffings. I actually prefer this recipe without eggs because I like the crumbly pieces of it.

Can you make cornbread dressing the day before Thanksgiving?

Yes! Just prep and make everything according to the instructions below. After it’s baked in the oven, let the stuffing cool completely before covering it tightly and storing it in the fridge overnight. Reheat by baking at 400 degrees uncovered for 20 minutes.

Expert Tips

If you’d like tomake the texture more sticky like a traditional dressing,beat 4 eggs together in a small bowl and drizzle the beaten eggs over the cornbread mixture once it is in the baking dish.
Cornbread can be made up to a day in advance—just let it cool in the pan and wrap it with plastic wrap. I wouldn’t transfer it to a bowl unless it’s the one you are going to make the stuffing in.The cornbread will fall apart if you move itaround too much.
This is one of my most flavorful dressing recipes, so be sure touse the correct amount of seasoningsto get great flavor!

top view of close up of cornbread dressing in white dish.

How to Make Toasted Cornbread Cubes

Make a double-batch of my famouscornbread recipe, doubling everything EXCEPT the sugar. Just use 2/3 of a cup for the whole batch. Bake in a greased 9×13 inch pan for about 40 minutes, or until baked through in the center.

Let the cornbread cool for an hour or so (or overnight), and then cut the whole plan into 2-inch cubes.Place the cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer, and bake at 325 degrees F for about an hour, or until the bread crumbs are dried out a bit and browned.

This can be done up to a day in advance. Just let the cornbread cool in the pan, and wrap it with a little plastic wrap. Don’t transfer it to a bowl unless it’s the one you are goi

The Difference Between Stuffing & Dressing

Themain difference between stuffing and dressing is how they are prepared.Stuffing is used to stuff another food, usually the turkey, before cooking it, while dressing is cooked in a regular dish or pan outside of the turkey. But many people use them interchangeably and I won’t be offended if you do, too!