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Easy Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Sausage

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This easy Southern cornbread dressing with sage and sausage is the perfect comfort food for fall dinners or holiday feasts. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, it features tender cornbread, savory sausage, and aromatic sage for a dish that tastes like home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried sage)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing the top)

Instructions

  1. Make the cornbread (do this a day ahead if possible): Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter until combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just mixed (a few lumps are fine). Pour batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. Crumble cornbre…
  2. Cook the sausage and vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through (6-8 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat in the skillet. If sausage is lean, add 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and celery to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened and golden. Add garlic, sage, and thyme and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. Remo…
  3. Combine the dressing: In the large bowl with crumbled cornbread, add cooked sausage, vegetable mixture, salt, and pepper. Toss gently with hands or a spatula. In a small bowl, whisk beaten eggs into chicken broth. Pour this mixture over the cornbread mixture and stir gently until evenly moistened. The mixture should look wet but not soupy; if dry, add another ¼ cup broth. Let sit for 5 minutes so cornbread absorbs the liquid.
  4. Bake the dressing: Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Transfer dressing mixture to the dish and spread evenly. Dot the top with remaining 2 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown and edges are crispy. Center should be firm but still moist. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dressing. Watch your salt levels as breakfast sausage is already seasoned. Toast dried sage in the skillet for 30 seconds before adding liquid to release oils. You can assemble the dressing (minus final baking) a day in advance; add 10 minutes to covered baking time if starting from cold. The dressing is done when it reaches 165°F in the center. Don’t skip the foil for the first 25 minutes of baking to keep it moist.

Nutrition

Keywords: cornbread dressing, sage, sausage, Southern dressing, Thanksgiving side, easy dressing recipe, homemade dressing

Find it online: https://sofiaspice.com/easy-southern-cornbread-dressing-with-sage-and-sausage/