Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

Holiday Dressings are a serious thing in South Louisiana. Local ingredients, like oysters, seafood, pork, and any variety of vegetables find their way to Holiday tables in recipes handed down through generations. Simple Cornbread Dressing with Sausage is a staple in many homes throughout the South, but in South Louisiana, it's transformed to another level. Sweet Daddy D's Cornbread Dressing with Sausage is made with pork sausage, the Trinity, cornbread, and traditional Cajun and Creole seasonings. This simple, no-angst recipe turns out moist and packed with flavor. You need this on your Holiday table!

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Jump to:

• Why is this the Perfect Cornbread Dressing?
• Here’s What You Need
• Ingredient Notes
• Here’s What You Do
• Serving Suggestions
• Hints and Tips (FAQ)
• More Holiday Dressings from Sweet Daddy D
• Recipe
• Comments or Questions?

Why is this the Perfect Cornbread Dressing?

Holiday dressings in South Louisiana come in many varieties. Dressings with oysters are synonymous with the Holidays here, but a good Cornbread Dressing with Sausage is the staple for many families. Binders used in dressing are often stale French bread or rice in South Louisiana, but cornbread is also commonly found here, as well as all over the South. Sweet Daddy D's Cornbread Dressing with Sausage incorporates the best of Creole and Cajun traditions. Here's why this is the perfect Cornbread Dressing with Sausage for your Holiday menu:

• First and foremost this recipe yields an extremely flavorful Dressing. Why would you spend time on any recipe that won't turn out delicious? The soothing flavor of pork sausage and fresh herbs whisper Holiday celebration in your ear.
• This recipe is very simple to make. Render the sausage, saute the Trinity, add the Herbs and Spices, then bind everything together with cornbread. Baked to a golden brown, you'll be thrilled to serve this on any Holiday table.
• One of the best characteristics of this recipe is its versatility. It's a great use for leftover cornbread of any flavor. You can substitute andouille or hot sausage for the pork sausage if you prefer. Add some chicken or turkey with giblets, or add some oysters to bring this simple recipe to another level.

Here’s What You Need

Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:

Ingredient Notes

• Pork Sausage: This recipe was developed using regular pork sausage. You can substitute any flavor of pork sausage you like. The flavor profile will be affected by the sausage you use. Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) Section below for substitutes.
• Cornbread: This recipe was developed using plain cornbread. You can use sweet cornbread, jalapeno cornbread, or any variety you like. Use more or less cornbread to change the consistency. This is a great use for leftover cornbread. The flavor profile will be affected by the cornbread you use.
• Yellow Onions, Bell Peppers, and Celery: Together these three ingredients are called the Trinity and are commonly used as the foundational flavor in Creole and Cajun dishes, much like the French Mirapois.
• Salt: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a salt-free all-purpose Creole or Cajun seasoning. If you use a seasoning that contains salt, please check the saltiness of the dish before adding additional salt. Other sources of salt could be butter and chicken stock.
• Fresh Herbs: Fresh Sage and Marjoram are key ingredients that round out the flavor profile of this recipe. To me, these are the flavors of the Holidays. You can substitute dry sage and marjoram for fresh. You can also use fresh Thyme in place of the dry thyme called for in the recipe. To substitute dry herbs, use 3 teaspoons of dry sage and 1 teaspoon of dry marjoram. If using fresh thyme in place of dry, use 1 Tablespoon.

Equipment

Cast Iron Skillet: A 12" cast iron skillet is perfect for rendering the sausage and sauteing the Trinity. If you don't have one of those, a heavy bottom skillet or saute pan will work.

Baking Dish (9' X 13"): You'll need an oven-ready baking dish. A 9" X 13" oven-safe baking dish is the perfect size for this recipe, but you can substitute other sizes if you don't have one.

Prep Bowls: You should have an assortment of Cambro and glass prep bowls to make your mise en place efficient.

Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:

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Here’s What You Do

First…you have a beer. Any recipe is easier to make if you are prepared. That includes the cook and the ingredients. Prepare yourself by getting in the right frame of mind (that's what the beer's for). Read the recipe all the way through. Learn what you will need and what you will do with each ingredient and piece of equipment. Then perform your mise en place and you are ready to go!

Mise en Place

What you want to do is have all the ingredients prepared and ready to be used in the recipe. Place the prepared ingredients in prep bowls (you can place ingredients that are added at the same time in the same bowl.) Now, you know that you have everything you need and you won't have to stop to measure or chop while the fire is hot.

• Break the cornbread into small pieces and set in a prep bowl.
• Chop the Trinity (Yellow Onions, Bell Peppers, and Celery) and place them in one prep bowl.
• Chop the green onions and garlic and place them in separate prep bowls.
• Crumble the pork sausage into a prep bowl.
• Chop the Fresh Sage and Fresh Majoram and place them in a prep bowl, then measure the Creole seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt into another prep bowl.
• Measure the Chicken stock and the butter.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Render the Sausage Fat

What happens in this step? Here we start to build the first layer of flavor by rendering the fat from the sausage. That rendered fat will be used with butter to saute the Trinity.

1. Place a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. While the pan is still cold, add the pork sausage.

Lagniappe Tip: By starting the pork sausage in a cold cast-iron pan, you will be able to render more fat than starting it in a hot pan. A hot pan will sear the outside before the fat renders on the inside.

2. Break up the sausage with your spoon while it renders its fat. Stir for about 5 minutes just until the red has cooked out. We are not trying to sear or brown the sausage.
3. Remove sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place it in a large bowl. Set the bowl aside.
4. Make sure to leave the drippings in the skillet.

Saute the Trinity and Seasonings

What happens in this step? In this step, we add butter to the rendered pork fat to saute the Trinity before seasoning it with garlic, green onions, and the Herbs and Spices. This is the traditional flavor base in Cajun and Creole recipes.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high under the cast iron skillet and add the butter.
6. Once the butter is bubbling, add the Trinity and saute for about 8 minutes until the onions start turning translucent. Don’t let the Trinity brown.
7. Add the garlic, Creole seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and green onions. Stir to combine and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Next, add the fresh marjoram and sage and saute for about 2 minutes.

Before moving on to the next stage, remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Blend all the Ingredients in a Bowl

What happens in this step? Off the heat, we will combine the ingredients in stages, Mixing in between steps to make sure all the ingredients are uniformly distributed throughout the Dressing. Just enough stock is added to create the consistency you're looking for.

9. Add the veggie mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
10. Mix the sausage and veggies thoroughly so that all the ingredients are evenly disbursed.

Lagniappe Tip: The idea is to add the ingredients in stages, mixing thoroughly before adding more ingredients. This will ensure that each ingredient is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

11. If you haven't already done so, break the cornbread into bite-size pieces and add them to the sausage and veggies.
12. Mix the cornbread pieces into the sausage and veggies, breaking up the larger pieces as you go. Make sure that everything is evenly distributed.
13. Add stock, starting with about 1 cup. Mix well and add more stock until it has a sticky consistency.

Lagniappe Tip: Add the stock a little at a time to make sure the final mixture is not too wet.

14. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until the cornbread has absorbed the liquid. You can add more stock after that if it looks too dry. Taste the dressing and add more seasoning if desired.

Bake the Dressing

What happens in this step? Now the cohesive Cornbread mixture will be baked to a golden brown, ready for serving.

15. Prepare a 9” X 13” baking dish by smearing softened butter all over the inside. 
16. Pour the cornbread mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
17. Bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 to 40 minutes. The top should be a golden brown and the edges should be bubbling.

Before serving. allow the Cornbread Dressing to rest for about 10 minutes after removing from the oven.

Serving Suggestions

Star of the Holiday Feast: Holiday Dressings are traditionally served to compliment a Turkey, Ham, Pork, or Beef Roast. Although a multitude of other traditional Holiday sides are also served, the Dressing leads the pack. Dressing recipes, handed down through generations create the longing for the comforts of home.

Stuffed in the Holiday Bird: Although the USDA does not recommend stuffing your Turkey, that is another popular way to serve Dressing. If you decide to stuff the Holiday Bird with this Cornbread Dressing with Sausage, don't add as much stock as this recipe calls for. As the turkey cooks, it will release juices into the dressing. Loosely place the stuffing in the bird, don't jam it in. Finally, be sure to cook the stuffing (exclusive of the turkey's internal temperature) to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I use a Thermoworks Thermapen to get accurate internal temperatures. (I am an affiliate of Thermoworks and do receive a modest commission on sales through my site links). Allow the stuffed turkey to rest for 20 minutes before removing the stuffing. Read this USDA article on stuffing your turkey for a complete drill-down.

Stuffed in Something Else: Turkeys aren't the only thing that can be stuffed. If you decide to stuff things with this Cornbread Dressing with Sausage, think about chicken breasts, pork chops, and pork roasts or tenderloins. Make sure the stuffing is fully cooked.

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Hints and Tips (FAQ)

More Holiday Dressings from Sweet Daddy D

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