Cornbread sausage dressing
I adapted this from a recipe my mother gave me. It's now what I make each year. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Happy Thanksgiving!
Cornbread and sausage dressing
Overview
- Yield: Makes enough for 2 9x13 baking dishes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients
Meats and Vegetables
- 1 pound hot sausage
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 package frozen spinach, thawed
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Breads and Dairy
- 5 cups bread crumbs
- 5 cups crumbled cornbread (ideally made 2 days ahead and crumble to dry out)
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 5 eggs, beaten
Seasonings and Liquids
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Up to 2 cups chicken broth
- Cooking spray for greasing pans
Instructions
- Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
-
Spray two 9x13 baking dishes with cooking spray
-
Cook the Meat:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both types of sausage
- Break the sausage into small pieces as it cooks
- Once browned, remove sausage with a slotted spoon
-
Leave the drippings in the pan
-
Cook the Vegetables:
- In the same skillet with sausage drippings, sauté diced onion and mushrooms
- Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes)
- Thaw frozen spinach completely and squeeze out all excess water
- Add spinach to the skillet
-
Cook until heated through
-
Combine Ingredients:
-
In a very large mixing bowl, combine:
- Cooked sausage
- Sautéed vegetables
- Bread crumbs
- Crumbled cornbread
- Melted butter
- Beaten eggs
- Sage
- Parsley
- Black pepper
- Salt to taste
-
Add Liquid:
- Gradually add chicken broth, starting with 1 cup
- Mix and add more broth slowly
- Continue until mixture holds together when lightly pressed but isn't soggy
-
You may not need all 2 cups
-
Bake:
- Divide mixture evenly between the two prepared baking dishes
- Bake for 30-45 minutes
- Top should be golden brown and crispy
- Center should be hot
Tips for Success
- Spinach Preparation: Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach to prevent the dressing from becoming too wet
- Moisture Level: The dressing should be moist but not wet - add broth gradually until you reach the right consistency
- Make Ahead: You can prepare this a day ahead and refrigerate before baking
- Cornbread Tip: Making the cornbread 1-2 days in advance and letting it dry out will improve the final texture
Storage
- Make Ahead: Can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated unbaked
- Leftovers: Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days
- Reheating: Reheat covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through
2024-11-28