Cornbread & Sausage Dressing

When it comes to Thanksgiving I feel like there are two camps, those who make stuffing that they stuff the bird with and those that make dressing which is served along side the bird. I grew up in a dressing home. As I began roasting my own chicken and turkey, I held to making dressing rather than stuffing as the bird roasts much faster not being stuffed. We generally have a more traditional dressing at Thanksgiving and in the spirit of trying something different I decided to make a cornbread sausage dressing.



Cornbread & Sausage Dressing
Serves 4-6

2 Sweet Italian sausages
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
6 corn muffins
1 cup or more chicken or turkey stock
2 Tbsp sliced sage leaves
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup dried cherries
salt & pepper to taste
handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Remove sausage from casing and brown in skillet. Remove browned sausage with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
2. Using the sausage drippings and adding more oil if necessary, saute to carrots, onion and celery until soft. Add back in the sausage, add in the sage and one cup of stock, let simmer until stock reduces by half. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut the corn muffins into approximately 1" cubes. Gently toss the cornbread, walnut pieces, dried cherries and sausage mixture. Pour into a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and keep at room temperature.
4. Thirty minutes before serving place the covered baking dish into an oven heated to 350F. Bake for 30 minutes to warm through, check halfway into cooking time and add in more stock if dressing is too dry. Serve garnished with parsley.


I loved the way the sweetness of the cherries and cornbread played off of the savory sausage. It worked really well and made for a nice complement to a roast turkey. Enjoy!