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Best Easy Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sage & Sausage

Southern cornbread dressing - featured image
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This quick and easy Southern cornbread dressing with sage and sausage is moist, flavorful, and ready in under 45 minutes. Perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday feasts, it uses simple ingredients and a clever technique for unbeatable comfort food.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (15-ounce) box cornbread mix (or 2 cups homemade crumbled cornbread)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup milk (whole or 2%)
  • 1 pound ground pork sausage (mild or sage)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 ribs celery, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried sage)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Make the cornbread: In a medium bowl, combine cornbread mix, beaten eggs, and milk. Stir until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Pour into the greased dish and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Brown the sausage: While cornbread bakes, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through (6-8 minutes). Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Transfer sausage to a plate using a slotted spoon.
  4. Sauté aromatics: In the same skillet with the remaining fat, add diced onion and celery. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add chopped sage and thyme (if using) and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
  5. Crumble the cornbread: Once cornbread is cool enough to handle, crumble it into a large mixing bowl, aiming for a mix of fine crumbs and small pea-sized chunks.
  6. Combine: Add cooked sausage and sautéed onion-celery mixture to the crumbled cornbread. Pour in melted butter. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
  7. Add broth: Pour chicken broth over the mixture, starting with 1 1/2 cups and adding more if needed. The mixture should look moist but not soupy (like wet sand). Stir gently until broth is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Bake: Transfer mixture back to the greased 9×13 dish (or leave in a cast-iron skillet). Spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden brown and edges are crispy. Center should be set but still moist.
  9. Rest: Let dressing sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow liquid to settle.

Notes

Don’t overmix once broth is added to avoid a pasty texture. Start with 1 1/2 cups broth and add more as needed—different cornbreads absorb differently. For extra crispy edges, spread dressing thinner or use a larger dish. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze for up to 3 months. The dressing tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: cornbread dressing, southern dressing, sage and sausage dressing, quick dressing, thanksgiving dressing, weeknight dressing

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