Cajun Cornbread Dressing with Sausage is a delicious soul food twist on a Southern, Thanksgiving favorite. This easy recipe has a cornbread base while sausage, veggies, and blackened seasoning round out this Creole side dish. You can even meal prep this “stuffing” beforehand to save precious time on the day of!
I grew up on the border of Texas and Louisiana in a small town called Orange, TX. My parents, from Texas and New Orleans, instilled a love of soul food spices as well as the unique Texas flavors…. and they make quite the epic combo!
Looking back, I remember the year my mom and dad were creating this Cajun cornbread dressing recipe.
Not knowing much difference, I thought everyone enjoyed a similar recipe on Thanksgiving Day.
But after years of bringing this to multiple Friendsgivings and potlucks, I realized this was a dressing recipe unlike any other.
My mom and dad knew what they were doing.
My hope is that this family favorite brings just as much joy to your Thanksgiving dinner table as it does to ours!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make Cajun cornbread dressing include:
- Cornbread mix. You need a 16–20-ounce package. Opt for a gluten-free variety if your diet calls for it. Jiffy cornbread muffin boxes are 8.5 ounces, so grab two of those if that’s easiest! If the instructions call for a 9×9 or 8×8 pan, reduce the baking time by 5 minutes since you’re using a 9×13 dish.
- Sausage. Be sure to opt for LINKS, not ground. You want a brand with a good casing, as well. Andouille is the best for flavor. If needed, you can use homemade venison sausage. My favorites: Aidell’s Cajun Style Andouille, Applegate Andouille Chicken Sausage, or Hillshire Farms or Johnsonville link sausage (use these if you prefer your dressing on the milder side!)
- Bell pepper. Green looks the best, but you can use any color.
- Celery. You need a few stalks of finely chopped celery, it adds so much flavor to the dressing.
- Onion. A sweet onion brings the perfect balance, but you can go with yellow or white as well.
- Garlic. Freshly minced garlic is essential. If absolutely necessary, you can use garlic powder.
- Oil. Either avocado or olive oil will work.
- Broth. Regular sodium chicken broth is used in the recipe, but you can sub in vegetable broth if needed.
- Blackened seasoning mix. It is so easy to make your own blend, and the flavor is unbeatable. You can also buy a pre-made mix, as well. You might see it called Cajun seasoning at the store.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
These are the steps to follow to make this Cajun cornbread dressing recipe:
Make the Cornbread
Follow the instructions on the box to make the cornbread. Remember to adjust the cooking time because you are using a 9×13 pan.
Pay attention! You don’t want to overcook the cornbread at this step.
Set the pan aside and let it cool. Then crumble the cornbread back into the 9×13 dish. Be sure there are no large clumps. If it’s easier, you can break apart the cornbread into a large mixing bowl first.
Cook the Sausage and Veggies
Slice the sausage link into ½-inch pieces.
Add oil to a large skillet and cook the sausage over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Toss the bell peppers, onions, and celery into the pan. This trio is called the holy trinity. Cook the veggies with some oil, salt, and pepper for another 8 minutes or so.
Add the minced garlic to the pot and sauté another 2 minutes.
Combine Ingredients
Add the cooked veggies and sausage along with the blackened seasoning into the pan with the crumbled cornbread. Stir to combine.
Pour the broth over the dressing. Even if it seems like there is too much, add at least 3 cups. Much of the broth will evaporate as it cooks.
Bake the Dressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the dressing for 30-35 minutes, uncovered.
Uncovered is VERY important. A large majority of the broth will evaporate and allow the dish to get crispy on the top.
If you like your side a little more crisp, bake it a few minutes longer.
Like it more on the soggy side? Bake it around 30 minutes.
Make-Ahead Instructions
One of the best things about this dish is that you can prep it completely up to 24 hours in advance.
Here are a few ways you can prep your ingredients for Thanksgiving Day:
- Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package directions.
- Cook the link sausage until cooked through.
- Sauté your vegetables and mix everything together in the baking dish with half of the broth.
On The Day of Serving:
- Set the casserole out at least an hour before cooking so it comes to room temperature.
- Add the additional chicken broth and cook according to the recipe below.
Storage Directions
- To Store: Once cooked, keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Warm in the oven at 300°, or microwave until heated through.
FAQs
Often the two words can be used interchangeably. However, there are a few differences to note. Stuffing is a bread mixture that has been stuffed into a turkey cavity and cooked in the oven. It’s often made with day-old bread cubes and fresh herbs. Sometimes people decide NOT to stuff it into a turkey and just bake it in its own dish. Dressing is cooked outside of a turkey cavity in its own separate pan. It is more often called this in the Southern United States and is made with cornbread instead of bread cubes.
Historically, cornbread dressing is a Southern favorite because of the cornbread base.
Cornbread dressing is usually made from a sweet, crumbled cornbread then mixed with sautéed onions, celery, and sometimes bell peppers and seasoned with a blend, like a blackened mix. Broth is added before baking.
Some recipes call for an egg, but they are not required for cornbread dressing.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- DIY spice. Make your own blackened seasoning mix for the most flavor.
- Link up. Steer clear of ground beef or sausage for this recipe.
- Add flavor. It is easy to add extra herbs, like thyme, sage, or even cayenne for a kick.
- Open up. Do not cover this casserole dish when baking so it gets crispy on top.
- Lots of liquid. Be sure to add plenty of broth, a bunch will evaporate when cooking.
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
In addition to this traditional recipe, here are a few of my family’s favorite sides to serve for Thanksgiving:
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- Brussels au Gratin
- Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
- Cauliflower au Gratin
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese
- Honey Roasted Carrots with Herbs
Cajun Cornbread Dressing with Sausage
Cajun Cornbread Dressing with Sausage is a delicious soul food twist on a Southern, Thanksgiving favorite. This easy recipe has a cornbread base while sausage, veggies, and blackened seasoning round out this Creole side dish.
Ingredients
- 20 oz. package cornbread mix gluten-free if needed, cooked in a 9 x 13 inch pan according to package directions
- 13 oz. package of link sausage cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 3 to 4 cups chicken broth regular sodium
- 1 Tbsp. blackened seasoning mix or Cajun seasoning
- ½ – 1 tsp. salt to taste
- Parsley optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Cook sausage over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until sausage is browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
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With remaining sausage grease, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, bell pepper, onion, celery, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Saute vegetables for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, or until onions begin to brown.
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Add crushed garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
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While vegetables are cooking, whisk together blackened seasoning mix.
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Crumble cornbread until there are no large clumps remaining. Combine sausage, vegetables, seasoning mix, salt, and cornbread in the baking dish. Toss to mix thoroughly.
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Pour 3 – 3 ½ cups of chicken broth into cornbread mixture. (This may seem like a lot at first, but remember, you will be baking this and a lot of the moisture will evaporate.)
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Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until the top begins to get crispy. Add more chicken broth as needed.
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Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Top with finely chopped parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Storage Directions
- To Store: Once cooked, keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Warm in the oven at 300°, or microwave until heated through.
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Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I have never made a cornbread flavoured stuffing before.. what a delicious recipe, this is definitely something I need to try!
London says
Hi Thalia! Yes, it is definitely quite a bit different, and so worth a try! Hope you enjoy it!
Marissa says
This was so freakin’ good! My parents are doing the Paleo diet (mostly) and would really appreciate this recipe for Thanksgiving. I’ll be sure to share it! Thanks for another great post; the photos look excellent too by the way!
London says
Thanks so much sista! You know we Cajuns have to stick together 🙂