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This Cornbread Stuffing with andouille sausage is the MOST requested recipe by my family every Thanksgiving, and I’ve been making it for more years than I remember. Sausage Cornbread Stuffing is the perfect savory Thanksgiving side dish that will please everyone at the table. This is the only thing at Thanksgiving my picky eater likes!

Close up photo of cornbread sausage in white dish with serving spoon


The BEST Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

I started making this stuffing in college. I’d never had cornbread stuffing before, and I’d never had andouille sausage. I’d been reading an old cookbook of my mom’s and came across a stuffing made with cornbread and sausage. I decided to make my own version on a whim and ever since then I’ve been making it several times a year.

In fact, this is the ONLY recipe Jordan begs for at Thanksgiving. She really doesn’t like anything else at that meal, except occasionally the knoepfle my dad makes and, of course, dinner rolls.

I think the fact that this is made with an entire batch of cornbread is why Jordan likes it so much. EVERYONE in my family expects this sausage stuffing. I make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and often during the year. Once Jordan requested it for her birthday.

Cornbread stuffing in a white ramekin ready for serving

Important Ingredients

  • Cornbread: I’ve always used Marie Callender’s Cornbread Mix. It’s a 16 ounce package that, when you add water, makes an 8×8 pan of cornbread. However, if you have your own favorite cornbread recipe or box mix, use that.
  • Andouille sausage: It’s a spicy sausage, kind of like linguisa but more savory and less greasy. I only eat it in this stuffing and it’s the only one I’ll use. The salty and spicy sausage is a great pairing for the sweet cornbread. They balance each other out, making this very savory even with all that sweet.
  • Pecans: You can’t forget the pecans! They add texture and crunch to the soft stuffing. I toast them before adding them to the mixture. The best bite of this stuffing has a little of my trinity: cornbread, sausage, and pecan.

How to make Cornbread Stuffing

  • Chop your pecans small and toast them in a skillet.
  • I quarter each sausage and dice it up, fry it, and drain it well before adding it to the cornbread.
  • Crumble your cornbread in a large bowl.
  • Add the other ingredients.
  • Pour in some chicken stock.
  • Add it to your pan and bake it. You can make it up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Overhead shot of cornbread stuffing in a white baking dish

Tips and Tricks

  • Because the big day is often busy with cooking, I chop everything and bake my cornbread the day before. Then I make the stuffing in the morning of Thanksgiving, before it gets too hectic.
  • Everything in this stuffing is pretty much cooked. I’ll often leave it, covered, on the counter, until it’s time to bake it. You can even make the stuffing the day ahead, or if you’re eating several hours after you make it, just pop it in the refrigerator.
  • Make sure to let it come to room temperature before you bake it. If you’re like me, you have one oven that’s pretty much consumed by the turkey. There’s never room for the stuffing while the turkey is cooking, so I’ll pop it into the oven as soon as the bird comes out. As long as it’s room temperature it’ll warm up while you let the turkey sit.
  • Bake it covered so it doesn’t brown on the top too much. Then uncover it for about 5 minutes to let the top brown. I bake usually bake this in a corningware dish that has a lid, but you can also just use foil.
Close up photo of cornbread sausage in white dish with serving spoon

Cornbread Stuffing with Andouille and Pecans

5 from 7 votes
This is the perfect side dish to any Thanksgiving meal! Sweet cornbread, spicy andouille sausage, and crunchy pecans make this my family’s favorite stuffing…all year long.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 8-9 cups of crumbled cornbread from a 16 ounce pouch that makes an 8×8 pan size (I use Marie Callender’s Mix), see note
  • 12 ounces andouille sausage quartered and diced bite size (I use Aidells Cajun Style Andouille)
  • ½ cup small dice green bell pepper
  • ¼ cup small dice green onion
  • ¾ cup toasted coarsely chopped pecans see note
  • ½ teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock/broth

Instructions

  • Crumble cornbread and place in a very large bowl.
  • Cook sausage over medium heat in a large skillet until it’s browned, about 5-7 minutes. Place on a paper towel lined plate and press with more paper towels to render the grease. Cool slightly, then add to the cornbread.
  • Add the bell pepper, green onion, pecans, and sage to the cornbread sausage mixture. Stir to combine. Add 3/4 cup of chicken stock and stir, adding more chicken stock as needed. The mixture should be wet but not sopping.
  • Pour stuffing into a dish that’s about 2.2 Qt or 1.8L (I use a corningware dish or a 10×7 rectangular pan.)
  • At this point you can cover the stuffing and let it sit at room temperature up to 3 hours or chill for up to 24, until ready to bake. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
  • Bake in a 350°F oven, covered with a lid or foil, for about 15 minutes. Remove lid/foil and let brown for another 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. If you’re making a turkey in the same oven, you can cook the stuffing at the same temperature. This recipe is easily adaptable in that way. Just adjust the time accordingly. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

  • You can make the stuffing up to 24 hours ahead. I usually make the cornbread the day before I assemble the stuffing.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1051mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

This Cornbread Stuffing is an easy Thanksgiving recipe with a star ingredient – andouille sausage! Make this dressing this year and everyone will love it- it’s the only one we make!

Last Updated on November 2, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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53 Comments

  1. OMG!! This is by far the best!! I’m not young, either, so have tried a lot of recipes. I have to confess, I used regular linked breakfast sausage, and added some celery – but Oh My. So delicious

  2. Thank you SO much for sharing this cornbread recipe – this is one of the few thanksgivings that I LOVED the food & I can say everyone really loved the stuffing. I’ll definitely will be keeping this recipe close by!
    Thank you again!!

  3. I’ve made this stuffing two years in a row now.  The first year I made it, I used my regular cornbread instead of the suggested mix and it was really dry, but flavorful.  I probably should have added more stock.

    I decided to give it another shot this year.  I just didn’t get the Marie Callender mix to turn out…which made me think I was totally crazy because it’s so simple.  It turned out like a flat, dry, corn cake for me. :/  However, I decided to try an 8×8 of Jiffy Cornbread, used 1 box Corn Muffin Mix and 1 box Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix and it made a really fluffy cornbread.  I also added at least an extra cup of chicken stock and it turned out wonderful!  I know this makes me that classic blog commenter girl changing things up, but it was SO GOOD this year!  Love that you add in the green onions, andouille, and pecans.  Really makes for the perfect stuffing.  We’ll use it again next year! Thank you!

    Happy Thanksgiving to you!! 🙂

    1. I love traditional stuffing and tried this version a few yrs ago. Been bringing it to my family’s Thanksgiving dinner every year! My sisters asked for it this year! So easy and delicious!