Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing with Country Sausage and Sage is hands down the best stuffing I’ve ever had. The flavors are phenomenal, and to be honest, when you’ve got a dressing like this, you don’t really need the turkey at all!
Pumpkin cornbread stuffing is a new classic!
I had to do it, I had to make another batch of that pumpkin cornbread just to see if it could knock it out of the park as a stuffing and man, did it ever. This was fabulous, and I’m not even a stuffing kind of person.
This cornbread stuffing is moist, and full of flavor with sausage and fresh sage
The appeal of plain stuffing has always been lost on me. But when you substitute homemade cornbread enriched with pumpkin, molasses and a little brown sugar for those brittle dried breadcrumbs in the bag, then add country sausage and fresh sage, you can’t help but get something special. You could easily make this a vegetarian stuffing, just replace the sausage with some roasted mushrooms, add in a few walnuts, and use veggie stock. I think dried cranberries would be nice, too.
Stuffing is all about texture
I cut my cornbread in large chunks so it wouldn’t completely fall apart as the stuffing is mixed. I crumbled the larger pieces as I added in the liquid to get a combination of textures. I also cut the onion and celery in relatively large dice, so they are recognizable in the final dish; you can taste them and they still have some crunch..
The peppery country sausage and the fresh sage gives this pumpkin cornbread stuffing so many layers of flavor.
TIP: Fresh sage is well worth it, the flavor is far superior to the dried. If you have extra leftover, I’ll show you how to dry herbs in the microwave, it’s a fabulous technique for preserving extra fresh herbs.
This beats the dried packaged mixes by a mile, I hope you give it a try!
I guess I’m going to have to call myself a stuffing person from now on.
I love all the extras on a holiday menu, and I have lots more side dish inspiration on the blog ~
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Maple Candied Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
-
Butter Pecan Pumpkin Souffle
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Buttered Rutabaga
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Easy Crock Pot Cranberry Butter
Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing with Country Sausage and Sage
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Pumpkin Cornbread, get recipe here
- 8 oz country sausage, the kind that comes in a tube, or from the butcher
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped (2 big handfulls)
- about 6 inner stalks of celery, leaves included, sliced (2 big handfulls)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
- more butter for dotting
Instructions
- Set oven to 350
- If you have the time, let the cornbread sit on the counter overnight to dry out. Then cut it in large bite sized cubes. Set aside.
- Crumble the sausage into a large heavy bottomed pot. Brown the sausage, continuing to break it up into small bits as it cooks. When it is completely cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pan and sautee the onion and celery for several minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.
- Add the sausage back to the pan.
- Turn off the heat and toss in the cornbread cubes and fresh sage. Add salt and pepper, and stir briefly to combine.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a measuring cup, and then stir in the stock. Pour this mixture into the stuffing pan, stirring lightly as you add the liquid. Break up any extra large chunks of cornbread as you mix. If it seems dry to you, add a little more stock, but not too much or the stuffing will get mushy. When it is all combined, but not overly mixed, turn into a buttered baking dish or casserole.
- Dot with butter, and then bake for about 30 minutes until hot and browned on top.
Notes
- You can bake this stuffing in well buttered muffins cups for individual portions…
- As I said above, this can be made vegetarian/vegan with just a few tweaks.
I can’t access the pumpkin cornbread link? I have to make this looks wonderful! Can you help?
Can this be cooked in a crockpot?
I can’t say for sure Barbara since I haven’t made stuffing in a crock pot, but I suppose if you make it the way the recipe says, and then instead of the oven, put it in the crock pot, it should work, although the texture would be a lot moister and softer.
This looks absolutely divine. Can you please tell me roughly how many this will serve? Thank you!
It feeds approximately 8 people.
I’m making this gluten free and adding apples and cranberries. I am excited to try it. Happy holidays.
Sounds yummy—Happy Thanksgiving Loretta!
I am going to try this for Thanksgiving this year. Can this be made ahead and reheated without effecting the quality?
I personally think stuffing better when freshly made. You could make it ahead and leave out the liquid, and then mix and bake when you’re ready.
Going to make this with veggie sausage as our vegetarian main instead of turkey! So excited!
oh, and going to add roasted mushrooms as well.
One question! If I’m making this as a main for 7 adults, you think this is enough, or should I double it?
I was wondering if this could work using part pumpkin cornbread and part ciabatta or other bread? I want a more savory flavor and less sweet. Thanks this looks yummmm.
I’m sure that would work, Connie.
Thank you, Sue! I was looking for a good gluten free stuffing to make for Thanksgiving and this is will be it, substituting gluten free cornbread, of course.
This looks absolutely amazing! I’m thinking it would make a great breakfast!
Hi Mirkat— Thanks for visiting, and you can do this either way. I meant the dish to be baked in the oven, but many people like to have their stuffing inside the turkey. You would put it in before the turkey goes in the oven, and when it comes out, your stuffing should be thoroughly cooked. Some people like to make sure by checking the temperature with a thermometer. The stuffing should be about 160 degrees to be safe. Then, as you slice the turkey, spoon out the stuffing to serve alongside.
Enjoy!
How much fresh Sage are we suppose to add? Maybe I missed it, but I don’t recall seeing an amount in the recipe (and I’m making it right now). 🙁
I see it now. I guess I was confused, because it mentioned “Turn off the heat and toss in the cornbread cubes and fresh sage.”, but the sage amount was listed below it (in the following steps). Got it!