An easy gluten free stuffing, this Cornbread Dressing Recipe will surely impress! Full of italian sausage, homemade cornbread, cranberries, and more!

General
Stuffing vs dressing
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you stuff the turkey?
Variations
Pairing suggestions
Making ahead of time
How to store
Nutrition information

This is one of our family’s favorite holiday side dishes! We make it for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas…and sometimes again in between the two since it’s just that good. 😉

It’s a little sweet, has a little kick from the sausage, is SO full of texture thanks to the celery and pecans, and, I’m gonna be honest, just totally addicting. 😉

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

There really is no significant different between the two. Traditionally, though, stuffing is stuffed inside the turkey and cooked whereas dressing is baked outside the turkey in a separate dish.

However, for food safety reasons, it is now recommended to avoid cooking stuffing/dressing inside the turkey entirely!

Ingredients

I especially love today’s cornbread recipe for two reasons: it’s gluten free AND it uses homemade cornbread.

If homemade cornbread isn’t your thing, you can use store-bought instead!

Cornbread – I use one batch of my homemade cornbread recipe.
Yellow Onion and Celery – the classic stuffing veggie combo. Adds texture and a slight crunch.
Rosemary, Thyme, Nutmeg, Sage, Salt, and Pepper – a simple but highly effective sweet and savory seasoning blend.
Dried Cranberries – adds a sweet flavor and chewy texture.
Pecans – gives a toasty, nutty crunch to each bite.
Egg – helps bind all the ingredients together.
Unsalted Butter and Chicken Broth – adds richness, moisture, and flavor.

Pro tip

Don’t want to make your own cornbread? Use your favorite boxed variety! Be sure you’re making enough to fill a 9×13 inch pan.

How to make

Because the cornbread needs a chance to dry out, this is a great make ahead recipe.

Make one batch of cornbread then set aside to cool.
In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, celery, and spices until the sausage has cooked through and the veggies are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in cranberries and pecans.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, and chicken broth. Set aside.
Place the sausage mixture and cornbread into a large bowl and pour in the egg mixture. Gently fold everything together.
Transfer the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Once heated, serve and enjoy!

Pro tip

I like making the cornbread and letting it sit out 24 hours in advance for best results. Feel free to also make the filling a day in advance!

Can you stuff the turkey?

Experts now advise against baking your stuffing/dressing inside the turkey for food safety reasons.

Cooking the stuffing to a safe temperature means your turkey will probably become overcooked. If you cook your turkey perfectly you’ll probably have undercooked stuffing prone to bacteria.

Basically, you’re better off just avoiding it altogether!

Variations

Make it semi-homemade. If you don’t want to make your own cornbread (although I highly recommend it), feel free to use a store-bought variety instead.
Swap the dried fruit. Not a cranberry fan? Try raisins!
Make it vegetarian. Swap the sausage for a vegetarian variety.
Make it without cornbread. If you’d rather go the traditional route, try my sausage stuffing or my crockpot vegetarian stuffing.

What to serve with cornbread dressing

This cornbread dressing is a classic for the holidays. Here are some of my other favorite holiday dishes!

Can you make cornbread dressing ahead of time?

You sure can! If you’d like to make the cornbread dressing ahead of time, bake the cornbread and make the sausage filling 24 hours in advance, then assemble the recipe the day of! I don’t recommend assembling ahead of time or you may end up with soggy stuffing.

To make the cornbread ahead of time, bake according to directions, cool completely, cube, then leave uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours.

To make the filling ahead of time, cook the sausage, onion, celery, and spices together, stir in cranberries and pecans, cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours.

You can also freeze it ahead ahead of time by following the recipe as directing but waiting to bake it. Instead, cover it with saran wrap and foil and freeze for up to a month.

When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge and bake as directed!