Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 35

This cornbread dressing with sausage is savory, with delicious golden edges and a soft, flavorful center. A Thanksgiving favorite you can make with homemade cornbread or a boxed mix, with plenty of prep-ahead options.

5 from 42 votes

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Ingredients

For the Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, or homemade cornbread recipe below
2 large eggs
⅔ cup milk

For the Dressing

Baked cornbread, crumbled and toasted
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons dried
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or 1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup chicken broth
1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

Make the cornbread:

Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add the cornbread mix and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the cornbread is fully cooked and golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.
Remove the cornbread from the baking dish onto a sheet pan, then break it up into small pieces with a spatula.

Toast the crumbled cornbread:

Preheat oven to 400F.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crumbles appear toasted and light brown. Remove it from the oven and set aside. This helps remove the moisture/dry out the cornbread before you make the dressing.

For the dressing:

Reduce oven temperature to 325F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a 3-quart oven-safe serving dish of any shape.
In a large pan, cook the sausage, celery, and onion for 10 minutes, using a spatula to break up the sausage as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a large mixing bowl, leaving the drippings behind.
Add the toasted, crumbled cornbread, chopped parsley (or dried herbs), and poultry seasoning to the bowl, then toss to combine. Next, pour the chicken broth and the beaten egg over the top and mix to combine. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. In the final 10 minutes, remove the foil to brown the top.
Remove it from the oven, cover with foil, and keep warm until you're ready to serve.

Notes

Things you can make ahead:

Bake and toast the crumbled cornbread up to 3 days in advance. Once it's fully cooled, transfer it into a zip bag. If you store it before it's fully cooled, you'll trap moisture in the bag and defeat the purpose of toasting it. If you do this step the day before, simply leave it out on the counter overnight.
Brown the sausage and veggies up to 3 days in advance. Once they cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

The day of: combine the toasted, crumbled cornbread with the cooked sausage and veggies in a bowl. Add the egg and milk, transfer to a baking dish, and bake as directed.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Homemade cornbread: this post was updated in 2026 using cornbread mix. If you're looking for the previous version with homemade cornbread, click here.

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