Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Win the Thanksgiving MVP award with our Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing recipe.

Whether you call this recipe cornbread stuffing or cornbread dressing, adding the loaded sourdough makes it savory and delicious. 

Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

We outdid ourselves with this dressing recipe simply because it’s so freaking good.

Imagine the semi-homemade black pepper and sage cornbread combined with the cubed sourdough bread seasoned with Herbes De Provence, and this is just the start of a fantastic dressing recipe.   

Dressing or Stuffing? It’s all in the flavor! 

But our dressing or stuffing is more than a delicious recipe because it is super easy to assemble.

No lie. I’ll be the first to admit that even though a lot is happening here, it isn’t complicated or impossible to make.

Plus, I have a cheat for the cornbread that will make it even easier for you to get this mouthwatering dressing in the oven and on your Thanksgiving table as soon as possible.

To save even more time, this recipe you can make a day ahead is a great benefit of having one less thing to make on Thanksgiving Day.

Save that day-old sourdough bread.

This recipe uses day-old sourdough bread and homemade cornbread with a hint of rubbed sage and freshly cracked black pepper. 

You got the recipe; now make your list and check it twice, then get in the kitchen and make this delicious Loaded Sourdough and Cornbread Dressing!

Italian Sausage in the dressing

We also use Italian Sausage instead of turkey or chicken in this recipe.

You must brown it up and ensure it is evenly dispersed throughout the dressing.

This is some next-level cooking right here.

We’ve always made our dressing with turkey or chicken, but I gotta tell ya, the flavors in Italian Sausage helped give our dressing a little kick.

This is a spin on our traditional dressing recipe, but I love it!

Make The Jiffy Mix Cornbread For Your Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Jiffy Mix Cornbread
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter 

See more dressing recipes using Jiffy Mix!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the cast iron in the oven to get hot.
3. Add Jiffy cornbread mix, yellow cornmeal, heavy cream, whole milk, rubbed sage, and freshly cracked black peppercorns into a large bowl. Crack the 2 eggs and fold in the mixture. 
4. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Remove the cast iron from the oven and add the extra-virgin olive oil and melted butter.
6. Use a brush and ensure the bottom and side of the skillet are coated.
7. Spoon the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread it out evenly.
8. Place the skillet into the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the cornbread’s top is golden brown.
9. Remove the cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool. Set aside.  

How To Make Sourdough Bread For Your Stuffing Recipe

Cut 2 1/2 cups of day-old sourdough bread into half-inch cubes, place them in a bowl, and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Herbes de Provence and 1 tablespoon of rubbed sage. Set it aside.

Now that you’ve made the bread, you’re ready to put this recipe together. 

How to Make Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Dressing

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6-10 (depending on the serving size)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 1/2 cups sourdough cubes
• 3 cups slightly crumbled cornbread (recipe above)
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of sliced celery
• 1 cup of sweet onion
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons rubbed sage
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or Kosher salt to taste

Directions on making sourdough cornbread dressing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then place a wire rack on it. Place the strips of thick-cut bacon on the wire rack, making sure they lie flat and do not overlap.
3. Place the sheet pan on the center rack of the preheated oven set to 400 degrees.
4. Cook the bacon until it is crispy in 18-20 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees to bake the dressing.
6. Remove the bacon after it is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon drippings. 
7. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add a single tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
8. When the oil is hot, add the Italian Sausage, break it apart with a spoon, brown it, and then transfer it to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels.
9. Wipe the skillet clean, place it over medium/high heat, and toast the walnuts for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a small bowl and set aside.
10. Add the tablespoon of bacon drippings to the skillet and place it over medium/high heat. 
11. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings. Then add the onions, garlic, apples, celery, and red and green bell peppers, and sauté for five minutes. Remove the mixture from the skillet into a bowl and set aside. 
12. Add 2 1/2 cups of the seasoned sourdough cubes and 3 cups of the crumbled cornbread into a large bowl. Fold in the crumbled thick-cut bacon, Italian sausage, onions, apples, celery, red and green bell peppers mixture, toasted walnuts, chopped flat-leaf parsley, and add the seasonings.
13. Gently fold all ingredients together, and add the chicken stock one cup at a time. Fold the mixture after you add each cup of chicken stock. The key to great dressing is to avoid it being soggy or too dry. However, adjust to your preference. I like my dressing to be moist; it will lose some moisture during oven cooking. After mixing the ingredients, please taste and adjust the seasoning. You won’t need to add salt because you will get salt from the thick-cut bacon and Italian Sausage.
14. Spoon the dressing into your preferred baking dish; this should be a high-walled dish about 2 to 4 inches deep.
15. Cut the half-stick of unsalted butter into small pieces and spread them evenly over the top of your dressing. I always make sure to tuck a few pieces into the corners.
16. Place the dressing onto the center rack of a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for an hour.
17. Remove from the oven and serve with cranberry sauce, turkey, or sausage gravy.

Pro-tip: If you’re making cornbread stuffing for the first time, allow yourself extra time to prep all the ingredients, including making the cornbread and sourdough bread ahead of time.

While this recipe requires many ingredients and steps, the final result is worth it. 

And if you have non-meat-eating friends + family coming to the holiday dinner, you can try our vegan sourdough cornbread stuffing recipe. 

Find more Thanksgiving recipes to try this year:

Thanksgiving Side Dish Idea | Baked Butternut Squash Potatoes

Sparkling Apple Cider Ginger Rosé

Croissant Cornbread Dressing with Chicken

Spinach & Bacon Smashed Potatoes

Smashed Cheesy Sweet Potatoes

50+ of the Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Win the Thanksgiving MVP award with our Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing recipe. Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, this is a tasty Thanksgiving recipe.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: holiday recipes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Author: This Worthey Life

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x4x5x

Ingredients for Cornbread 

• 1 Krusteaz Honey Cornbread Mix
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Ingredients for Sourdough Cornbread Dressing

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 1/2 cups sourdough cubes
• 3 cups slightly crumbled cornbread recipe above
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of sliced celery
• 1 cup of sweet onion
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rubbed sage
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or Kosher salt to taste

Sourdough Bread

• 2 1/2 cups of day-old sourdough bread

Instructions

Directions for making the Cornbread

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the cast iron in the oven to get hot.
• Add Krusteaz Honey Cornbread mix, yellow cornmeal, heavy cream, whole milk, rubbed sage, and freshly cracked black peppercorns into a large bowl. Crack the 2 eggs and fold in the mixture.
• Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
• Remove the cast iron from the oven and add the extra-virgin olive oil and melted butter.
• Use a brush and ensure the bottom and side of the skillet are coated.
• Spoon the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread it out evenly.
• Place the skillet into the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cornbread's top is golden brown.
• Remove the cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool. Set aside.

Directions for Sourdough Cornbread Dressing

• Cut 2 1/2 cups of day-old sourdough bread into half-inch cubes, place them in a bowl, and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Herbes de Provence and 1 tablespoon of rubbed sage. Set it aside.

  Now that you've made the bread, you're ready to put this recipe together.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then place a wire rack on it. Place the strips of thick-cut bacon on the wire rack, making sure they lie flat and do not overlap.
• Place the sheet pan on the center rack of the preheated oven set to 400 degrees.
• Cook the bacon until it is crispy in 18-20 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees to bake the dressing.
• Remove the bacon after it is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon drippings.
• Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add a single tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the Italian Sausage, break it apart with a spoon, brown it, and then transfer it to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels.
• Wipe the skillet clean, place it over medium/high heat, and toast the walnuts for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a small bowl and set aside.
• Add the tablespoon of bacon drippings to the skillet and place it over medium/high heat.
• When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings. Then add the onions, garlic, apples, celery, and red and green bell peppers, and sauté for five minutes. Remove the mixture from the skillet into a bowl and set aside.
• Add 2 1/2 cups of the seasoned sourdough cubes and 3 cups of the crumbled cornbread into a large bowl. Fold in the crumbled thick-cut bacon, Italian sausage, onions, apples, celery, red and green bell peppers mixture, toasted walnuts, chopped flat-leaf parsley, and add the seasonings.
• Gently fold all ingredients together, and add the chicken stock one cup at a time. Fold the mixture after you add each cup of chicken stock. The key to great dressing is to avoid it being soggy or too dry. However, adjust to your preference. I like my dressing to be moist; it will lose some moisture during oven cooking. After mixing the ingredients, please taste and adjust the seasoning. You won't need to add salt because you will get salt from the thick-cut bacon and Italian Sausage.
• Spoon the dressing into your preferred baking dish; this should be a high-walled dish about 2 to 4 inches deep.
• Cut the half-stick of unsalted butter into small pieces and spread them evenly over the top of your dressing. I always make sure to tuck a few pieces into the corners.
• Place the dressing onto the center rack of a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for an hour.
• Remove from the oven and serve with cranberry sauce, turkey, or sausage gravy.

Notes

How To Make Sourdough Bread For Your Stuffing Recipe

Cut 2 1/2 cups of day-old sourdough bread into half-inch cubes, place them in a bowl, and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Herbes de Provence and 1 tablespoon of rubbed sage. Set it aside.

Now that you've made the bread, you're ready to put this recipe together. 

Tried this recipe?Mention @thiswortheylife or tag #thiswortheylife!

Created 10/2019 | Updated 10/2023