Savory Italian Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

If you ask me, stuffing is the best part of any holiday meal.

This Italian sausage cornbread stuffing brings together homemade cornbread cubes with savory sausage and plenty of celery and onion. The sausage adds a nice kick of flavor while the cornbread keeps everything light and just a little sweet.

You’ll make the cornbread from scratch, then cube it up and toss it with browned Italian sausage and sautéed vegetables. Chicken broth and an egg bind it all together with a sprinkle of poultry seasoning and fresh parsley.

It’s a crowd-pleasing side dish that works for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any family dinner where you want something special on the table.

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What Kind of Italian Sausage Should I Use?

You can use either sweet or hot Italian sausage for this stuffing, depending on how much kick you want in your dish. Sweet Italian sausage gives you a milder, herb-forward flavor that works well with the cornbread, while hot Italian sausage adds a nice spicy element that some people really love. If you can’t decide, you could even do half and half to get the best of both worlds. Just make sure to remove the casings before cooking so the sausage crumbles nicely and distributes evenly throughout your stuffing.

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Options for Substitutions

This stuffing recipe is pretty forgiving, so here are some swaps you can make based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Italian sausage: You can use breakfast sausage, turkey sausage, or even ground pork seasoned with Italian herbs (fennel, oregano, and garlic). For a vegetarian version, try crumbled tempeh or mushrooms sautéed with Italian seasoning.
• Cornbread: If you don’t want to make cornbread from scratch, store-bought cornbread or cornbread mix works perfectly. You can also use half cornbread and half regular bread cubes for a different texture.
• Milk: Buttermilk makes the cornbread extra moist and tangy, or you can use any dairy-free milk like almond or oat milk if needed.
• Poultry seasoning: If you don’t have poultry seasoning, thyme works great as suggested, or make your own blend with sage, thyme, and a pinch of rosemary.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth works just as well, or you can use turkey stock if you’re making this for Thanksgiving. Start with less broth and add more as needed – you want moist stuffing, not soggy.
• Fresh parsley: Dried parsley is fine (use about half the amount), or swap in fresh sage or thyme for a more traditional stuffing flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with stuffing is not drying out the cornbread enough before mixing, which leads to a mushy casserole instead of one with nice texture – spread your cubed cornbread on a baking sheet and let it sit out overnight, or toast it in a 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly crispy.

Another common error is not browning the Italian sausage properly, so make sure to break it into small pieces and cook it until it’s deeply browned and caramelized, as this adds tons of flavor to the entire dish.

When adding the chicken broth, start with less than the full cup and add more as needed – you want the mixture to be moist but not swimming in liquid, since the stuffing will continue to absorb moisture as it bakes.

Finally, don’t skip letting the stuffing rest for 10 minutes after baking, which allows everything to set up and makes it much easier to serve without it falling apart on the plate.

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What to Serve With Italian Sausage Cornbread Stuffing?

This stuffing is hearty enough to be the star of your meal, but it really shines alongside roasted turkey or chicken – especially during the holidays. I love pairing it with classic Thanksgiving sides like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce for a full spread. If you’re serving it as a weeknight dinner, it goes great with a simple roasted chicken and some steamed green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts. Don’t forget the gravy – this stuffing soaks it up beautifully, and you can even use the drippings from your roasted meat to make a quick pan gravy.

Storage Instructions

Store: Leftover stuffing keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It actually tastes even better the next day once all those flavors have had time to meld together, so don’t be shy about making it ahead!

Freeze: This stuffing freezes great for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either before or after baking – just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. If freezing unbaked, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before popping it in the oven.

Reheat: To warm it back up, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. If you want a crispy top, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes. You can also microwave individual portions for a quick lunch.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3400-3700
• Protein: 90-105 g
• Fat: 175-195 g
• Carbohydrates: 330-360 g

Ingredients

For the cornbread:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (sifted to remove lumps)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (whole milk works best)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal (finely ground for smooth texture)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• 1 tbsp sugar

For the stuffing:

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 4 cups cornbread (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 cup onion (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup chicken broth (I use low-sodium for better control)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casings)
• 2 cups celery (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning

Step 1: Make and Toast the Cornbread Base

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease a baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and melted butter until combined.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined—don’t overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into ½-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F and toast the cornbread cubes for 8-10 minutes until they’re lightly dried out and crispy on the edges—this prevents the stuffing from becoming soggy.

Step 2: Prepare the Mise en Place for Stuffing Assembly

• 1 cup onion
• 2 cups celery
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 lb Italian sausage

While the cornbread is cooling, dice the onion and celery into ¼-inch pieces and finely chop the fresh parsley.

I like to keep these prepped vegetables separate so they’re ready to go when you need them—it makes the assembly much smoother.

Remove the Italian sausage from its casings if using links, breaking it into small crumbles.

Step 3: Cook the Sausage and Vegetables

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups celery, diced

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.

After about 5 minutes when the sausage is starting to brown, add the diced celery and onion.

Continue cooking for about 10 minutes total until the sausage is fully cooked through and the vegetables are softened.

The vegetables will pick up all the flavorful fat from the sausage, which is exactly what you want for building depth in your stuffing.

Step 4: Build the Stuffing Mixture

• sausage and vegetable mixture from Step 3
• toasted cornbread cubes from Step 1
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 egg, beaten

Transfer the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture from Step 3 to a large bowl, leaving behind any excess fat in the pan—you want flavor, not grease.

Add the toasted cornbread cubes from Step 1, the poultry seasoning, and the fresh parsley.

Toss everything together to distribute the ingredients evenly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and beaten egg, then pour this mixture over the cornbread mixture.

Stir gently but thoroughly until all the cornbread is moistened and the mixture comes together cohesively—I find using a wooden spoon works best here to avoid breaking up the cornbread too much.

Step 5: Bake and Finish the Stuffing

• stuffing mixture from Step 4

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and grease a baking dish.

Transfer the stuffing mixture from Step 4 into the prepared dish and cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 40-45 minutes covered.

Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking to allow the top to dry out slightly and develop a light golden crust.

Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil while resting—this keeps it warm and moist until serving.

Savory Italian Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Delicious Savory Italian Sausage Cornbread Stuffing recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 32 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 4 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 36 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3550 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cornbread:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (sifted to remove lumps)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (whole milk works best)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal (finely ground for smooth texture)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• 1 tbsp sugar

For the stuffing:

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 4 cups cornbread (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 cup onion (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup chicken broth (I use low-sodium for better control)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casings)
• 2 cups celery (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease a baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and melted butter until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined—don't overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into ½-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet. Increase oven temperature to 400°F and toast the cornbread cubes for 8-10 minutes until they're lightly dried out and crispy on the edges—this prevents the stuffing from becoming soggy.
• While the cornbread is cooling, dice the onion and celery into ¼-inch pieces and finely chop the fresh parsley. I like to keep these prepped vegetables separate so they're ready to go when you need them—it makes the assembly much smoother. Remove the Italian sausage from its casings if using links, breaking it into small crumbles.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. After about 5 minutes when the sausage is starting to brown, add the diced celery and onion. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes total until the sausage is fully cooked through and the vegetables are softened. The vegetables will pick up all the flavorful fat from the sausage, which is exactly what you want for building depth in your stuffing.
• Transfer the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture from Step 3 to a large bowl, leaving behind any excess fat in the pan—you want flavor, not grease. Add the toasted cornbread cubes from Step 1, the poultry seasoning, and the fresh parsley. Toss everything together to distribute the ingredients evenly. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and beaten egg, then pour this mixture over the cornbread mixture. Stir gently but thoroughly until all the cornbread is moistened and the mixture comes together cohesively—I find using a wooden spoon works best here to avoid breaking up the cornbread too much.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and grease a baking dish. Transfer the stuffing mixture from Step 4 into the prepared dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes covered. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking to allow the top to dry out slightly and develop a light golden crust. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil while resting—this keeps it warm and moist until serving.