Cornbread Dressing

Name: Cornbread Dressing
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan; 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, plus more if needed; 1 pound loose pork sausage; 1 large yellow onion, very finely chopped (2 cups); 4 celery ribs, very finely chopped (2 cups); 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (from 10 large leaves); Salt and pepper; 1 recipe cornbread for dressing, broken into 1-inch pieces, or 10 cups loosely packed cornbread; 1 1/2 cups chicken, turkey or vegetable stock; 1 cup buttermilk, preferably full-fat

By Yewande Komolafe

Published Nov. 10, 2021

Cornbread Dressing — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: 1½ hours
Rating: 4(677)
Comments: Read comments

This crisp, rich and buttery dressing is excellent as a side dish for dinner on Thanksgiving and as leftovers the next day. Aromatics and a mix of fresh and dried herbs give it a deep savoriness. The sausage brings a flavor of its own, but you can leave it out for a vegetarian-friendly alternative. The accompanying cornbread recipe yields a result firm enough to soak up the stock and buttermilk without it turning to a pudding, but you can also use store-bought cornbread or a boxed mix. If you do, just crumble the baked cornbread and spread it out on a sheet pan in an even layer to dry for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours before mixing it with the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Featured in: These Thanksgiving Recipes Aren’t Just Side Dishes. They’re My Memories.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, plus more if needed
1pound loose pork sausage
1large yellow onion, very finely chopped (2 cups)
4celery ribs, very finely chopped (2 cups)
4garlic cloves, minced
1teaspoon dried thyme
½teaspoon dried oregano
½teaspoon fennel seeds
2tablespoons chopped fresh sage (from 10 large leaves)
Salt and pepper
1recipe cornbread for dressing, broken into 1-inch pieces, or 10 cups loosely packed cornbread
1½cups chicken, turkey or vegetable stock
1cup buttermilk, preferably full-fat

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Step 2
Heat a large skillet over medium and pour in the oil. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, keeping any fat in the skillet. Add a few additional tablespoons oil if needed to evenly coat the bottom.
Step 3
Add the onion and celery to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds and sage, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the cornbread pieces and toss to combine. Pour in the stock and buttermilk, and stir until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
Step 4
Transfer the cornbread mixture to your prepared dish and spread evenly. Drizzle the melted butter over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through, 30 to 35 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees, remove the foil and bake until the surface is golden brown in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm.

Ratings

4 out of 5

677 user ratings

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Comments

RJC3 years ago

I have made this similar recipe before but added a fennel bulb chopped up and sautéed with the celery. I would cut the amount of celery if you choose to add the fennel. It was an excellent addition. Subtle flavor but just enough that it takes the dish up a notch. It’s now a thanksgiving staple in my family.

Mary from Terry, MS3 years ago

Make the cornbread one or two days before you make the dressing and let it sit on the counter to dry out, not in the refrigerator. It needs to be stale and hard so chunks will remain after you add broth. I prefer to use a savory, spicy sausage. Italian sausage and fennel are too weird for this old Southerner. My mother added the cooked turkey giblets to both the dressing and the gravy.

JenBeee3 years ago

This is pretty authentic. We leave out the fennel and include half a loaf of day-old white bread, crumbled up.

Christopher Parker6 months ago

Great on it's own, but I added 1/2 cup crasins and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to add a bit of texture.

Alice Kaiser1 year ago

It's not clear from the notes as to anyone actually added the buttermilk to the dressing. I prefer a more crumbly, less custardy dressing, the way my mother made it, so no buttermilk or egg. The herbs and aromatics are excellent, and I did add chopped fennel bulb too. Did not add sausage this time but it would be good. Added chopped toasted walnuts.

SML1 year ago

Cooked as designed Yewande. very tasteful and enjoyed heartily. Dont care for what others say about sugar. dont bother cooking it if you dont like it. its not a mandate to cook as written or even cook at all.

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