Cornbread Dressing with Sage & Sausage

Moist, savory, and Southern to the core—because up here, we don’t do stuffing. Period.

A Little Southern Truth:

Look, every region does Thanksgiving a little different, but down here, dressing is sacred. Not just any dressing either—cornbread dressing. No crusty cubes of store-bought bread, no weird dried fruit, and we sure as sugar aren’t shoving it in the turkey.

This version is rich with browned sausage, fresh herbs, and homemade skillet cornbread. It’s the kind of dish that people stand around the kitchen picking at before dinner even starts, fork in hand, trying to act like they’re “just tasting for seasoning.”

🍴 Servings:

Serves 8–10 as a side dish (or 4 hungry Southerners)

🛒 Grocery List:

• 1 pan (about 6 cups) cornbread, crumbled (homemade preferred)

• 1/2 loaf day-old white bread or buttermilk bread, torn into pieces

• 1 lb pork breakfast sausage (sage-flavored or mild)

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

• 1 tsp thyme

• 2 cups chicken broth (plus more as needed)

• 2 large eggs

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 2–3 tablespoons unsalted butter

👩‍🍳 Directions:

1. Prep the Bread:

Make sure your cornbread and white bread are slightly dry or day-old. Tear or crumble into a large bowl and let it sit out while you prep the rest.

2. Cook the Sausage:

In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until browned and crumbled. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.

3. Sauté the Veggies:

Add butter to the drippings if needed. Sauté onion and celery until softened, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and herbs, cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in sausage.

4. Mix the Dressing:

Add sausage and veggie mixture to the bowl of bread. Stir in beaten eggs and 2 cups chicken broth. Mix gently until combined—add more broth if it feels too dry. You want it moist but not soupy.

5. Bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking dish and spoon in the mixture. Dot the top with butter. Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and set in the middle.

📝 Southern Tip:

Let it sit before baking.
If you make the mixture a couple hours—or even a day—ahead, it gives the flavors time to marry. Just cover, refrigerate, and bring to room temp before baking.

💡 Serve It With:

• Herb Butter Roasted Turkey

• Giblet Gravy

• Cranberry Sauce (because yes, tangy goes with savory)

• A glass of sweet tea or a little pre-dinner bourbon (because it’s the holidays, baby)

With cornbread in the oven and sage in the air,
Southern Charm Style 🥄💛

Lilly-