Herbed Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage & Cranberries

Sweet, salty and packed with fresh herbs, this cornbread stuffing with sausage is practically a meal in itself.

First and foremost: I always double the batch for this recipe because it’s one of the first dishes people reach for, and there are never any leftovers! If you’re looking to save time, you can use cornbread from a box mix, or even the prepackaged cubes you can get at the grocery store. But if you’re a fan of doing things from scratch, I highly recommend my own cornbread recipe. You can make it in advance – the stuffing works better with cornbread that’s a couple of days old.

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, one of my favorite parts of this dish is how easy it is to tailor to your own taste. A few slight tweaks makes it uniquely your recipe. Here are some ideas for how you can add your own twist.

Customize this recipe for your own tastes:

• Consider adding an alternate dried fruit like sour cherries or dried apricot pieces.
• Looking for more sweetness? Add some diced apple during the sauté step.
• Instead of pork sausage, consider using wild game such a venison or elk.
• If you aren’t into sausage flavors, use ground bison or beef.
• Sprinkle the very top of the stuffing with some crushed cornflakes to add a great textural crunch.

Herbed Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage & Cranberries

Ingredients

• 6-8 cups cornbread
• 1 stick butter
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 6-8 leaves fresh sage, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 lb pork sausage with sage
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325f.
2. Add butter to a pan, and saute the onion and parsley over medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the chopped herbs, stir through and remove mixture from pan.
4. Add the sausage to the pan and brown the meat until cooked through, stirring frequently and breaking it up with a spoon, about 8-10 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine sautéed vegetable mix, cornbread and sausage. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or more to taste).
6. Add chicken stock and cranberries, then stir to mix all ingredients.
7. Pour into a baking dish/pyrex and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until brown on top.