Cornbread Stuffing

It isn’t Thanksgiving without homemade cornbread stuffing! Made with sausage, smoked turkey wings, and fresh herbs this dish is a classic.

What will I need for this recipe?

Cornbread

All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour adds the base for the cornbread. Be sure to measure your flour carefully as too much can make your cornbread too dense.

Yellow Corn Meal– Yellow corn meal is essentially flour made from dried corn. It is typically coarse which is what gives cornbread its amazing texture.

Baking Powder – Cornbread does not use yeast, instead it uses baking powder as a leavening agent. This allows the cornbread to rise slightly and to make it more airy.

Granulated White Sugar – The sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the bread and helps the bread to brown. Not to mention that the added sweetness brings out the flavor of the corn meal.

Buttermilk – The buttermilk adds a sweet flavor to your cornbread. You can substitute with whole milk but the flavors will not be as buttery and rich as they are with buttermilk.

Unsalted Butter – When baking it is always best to use unsalted butter so that you do not add extra salt.

Eggs – The eggs become the binder of the bread and add structure. Without the eggs, it will not hold together, especially not when adding the bread to your stuffing.

Cornbread Stuffing

Smoked Turkey Wings – You can purchase smoked turkey wings at your local store or if you are making a whole turkey you can add the wings to your stuffing. They will add a punch of flavor to your dish!

Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage – You can use other flavors of sausage if you prefer but using sage sausage pairs so well with the herbs in this dish. Having a cornbread stuffing with sausage adds another element to your holiday table.

Yellow Onion – This is always the go-to onion to add sweetness and flavor to your dish.

Garlic – Garlic gives the dish a wonderful nutty flavor and really helps to season the dish.

Celery – The celery adds flavor and texture to the stuffing. You can substitute with fennel if you would like, but this is what will bring the added crunch into the stuffing.

Spices – For this recipe, we are using flat-leaf parsley, dried thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, celery salt, and black pepper.

Avocado Oil – Avocado oil has a higher smoke point so it is easier to cook the short ribs in to get a nice sear.

Chicken Stock – Chicken stock tends to be more readily available and it does add a lot of great flavors to your dish. If you have turkey or vegetable stock then you can substitute either of these if you wish.

How to make Cornbread Stuffing?

Build the stock

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add two teaspoons of avocado oil and your smoked meat. Sear meat on both sides for 4-5 minutes. This sear adds more flavor to your dish. Next, add your chopped celery and yellow onion. Stir around and allow the veggies to start to pick up some of that fond from the bottom of the pot. After about 2-3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, and add in your chicken broth. Be sure it’s enough broth to completely cover your veggies and smoked meat.

Season with thyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, celery salt, and cajun seasoning. Toss in your fresh parsley, mix well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until smoked meat is nice and tender. Meat should be tender to the touch and the bone exposed.

Bake the cornbread

While that meat is simmering, start on your cornbread. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients for the cornbread (flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, and sugar). Mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk your 4 large eggs and add your whole milk to it, whisking in slowly. Now, add your wet mix to your dry, slowly stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Once all the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry, stop mixing. A few lumps are okay, you just don’t want to over mix.

Place your stick and a half of butter into a large baking dish or cast iron skillet and place in the oven to melt. Once melted, remove from the oven and pour your cornbread mix straight into the baking dish or cast iron skillet. Place back in the oven and back for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown and center is completely baked through. Touch the middle and make sure it’s firm and doesn’t sink. Once baked, remove and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice into 1 in cubes.

Add all ingredients together

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook down your sage sausage until brown and chop into small crumbles. Remove from the skillet using a serrated spoon and set aside.

By now, your stock should be ready and the turkey meat should be nice and tender. Remove the smoked turkey and place in a separate bowl. Allow to cool, and shred or chop your smoked meat. You want to remove the skin and only keep the meat.

In a large bowl, add your cornbread cubes, sage sausage crumbles, and smoked turkey. You can add about 1 cup of meat at a time to ensure you only add as much as you like. Take a serrated spoon and scoop out your celery and onion from the broth. Next, ladle your broth in ½ cup at a time into the mixture. Mix after each ladle to see how much broth you need to add. Keep adding broth and mixing until you reach your desired texture. The mixture should be well combined and not dry. When you grab a scoopful it should stick together and not break up. Once desired texture is reached, check for proper seasoning, place into a baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes covered and an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered.

Making the gravy

To make a quick gravy, take about a cup or so of your remaining broth and add 1 tablespoon or so to it. Mix well to get all the lumps out and place over low heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, stirring constantly. If too thick after about 4-5 minutes of stirring, add more broth. If too loose, add more flour and stir to cook out the flout. Once the desired thickness is reached, run through a strainer and place into a gravy bowl. Serve and ENJOY!

FAQ

Can the cornbread stuffing be made ahead of time?

You can definitely make all the elements ahead of time including the cornbread and stock. However, you will not want to add everything together until you are ready to bake it. Since the dish is always best fresh, I recommend preparing everything ahead of time but wait until the day of to bring it together and bake.

Can I make the cornbread ahead of time?

Absolutely! In fact, it will be better to make the cornbread a day in advance. This will allow the cornbread time to dry out and soak up the broth when added into the cornbread stuffing.

How to store the leftovers?

You can store the leftovers for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. If you have leftover broth or gravy you can store this in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I Hope You Enjoy This Recipe!

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