Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Win the Thanksgiving MVP award with our Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing recipe. Regardless if you call this recipe cornbread stuffing or cornbread dressing, the addition of the loaded sourdough makes it savory and delicious. 

Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

I am pretty sure 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 to 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 also super easy to put together. No lie. I’ll be the first one to admit that even though a lot is going on 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 is a recipe you can make a day ahead, a great benefit of having one less thing to make on Thanksgiving Day.

Save that day-old sourdough bread.

This recipe makes good use of 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 + Cornbread Dressing!

Italian Sausage in the dressing

We’re also using Italian Sausage in this recipe instead of turkey or chicken. You will need to brown it up and made sure it was evenly dispersed throughout the dressing. This is some next-level cooking right here. Not to mention Johnsonville  Sausage uses quality ingredients to produce their delicious meats. We’ve always made our dressing with turkey or chicken, but I gotta tell ya, the flavors in Johnsonville’s 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. Into a large bowl, add Jiffy cornbread mix, yellow cornmeal, heavy cream, whole milk, rubbed sage, and freshly cracked black peppercorns. 
4. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Remove the cast iron from the oven and add the extra virgin olive oil and the melted butter.
6. Use a brush and ensure the bottom and side of the skillet is 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 in half-inch cubes, place them into a bowl and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Herbes De Provence and a tablespoon of rubbed sage. Set it aside.

Now, after the bread has been made, you’re ready to put this recipe together. 

How to make Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Dressing

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 20-24 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 1/2 cups sourdough cubes
• 3 cups slightly crumbled cornbread
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sweet onion
• 3 garlic large 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 unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon 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 onto the sheet pan. Place the strips of thick-cut bacon on the wire rack, make sure the bacon is laying flat and the pieces of bacon do not overlap.
3. Place the sheet pan on the center rack of the preheated 400 degrees oven.
4. Cook the bacon until it is crispy in 18-20 minutes.
5. Reduce 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 med-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 the sausage, and then transfer it onto a plate or bowl lined with paper towels.
9. Wipe the skillet clean and 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 the onions, apples, celery, red and green bell peppers, and sauté for five minutes. Remove the mixture from the skillet into a bowl and set aside. 
12. Into a large bowl, add 2 1/2 cups of the sourdough cubes and 3 cups of the crumbled cornbread, fold in the crumbled thick-cut bacon, Italian sausage, and the onions, apples, celery, red and green bell peppers mixture, toasted walnuts, chopped flat-leaf parsley, add in the seasonings.
13. Gently fold all of the ingredients together, and begin adding the chicken stock a cup at a time. Fold the mixture after you add each cup of chicken stock. The key to great dressing, it shouldn’t be soggy or too dry. However, adjust to your preference. I like my dressing to be moist; it will lose a bit of its moisture while it is cooking in the oven. After all of the ingredients are mixed, give it a 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 pieces of the half-stick of unsalted butter all 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, be sure to allow yourself extra time to prep all the ingredients, including making the cornbread and sourdough bread ahead of time. While this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients and steps, the final result is worth it. 

And if you have non-meat eating friends + family coming to 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