The Best Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Bacon. This cornbread stuffing (also called cornbread dressing) pulls out all the stops: sweet cornbread, salty bacon and sausage, plenty of herbs and aromatics, and crunchy toasted pecans. It’s a standout side for your Thanksgiving table.
Now is the time to finalize your Thanksgiving menu: how to roast the turkey, which sides to include, and whether to mash or whip the potatoes. One decision you should make right away is this: the stuffing will not come from a box this year. Make it from scratch, and make it exceptional.
This recipe is the best version I’ve found—rich, balanced, and worth making for the holiday.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE BEST CORNBREAD STUFFING?
When I set out to perfect a classic dish, I start with a list of essentials. For cornbread stuffing, the ideal version should:
- Offer plenty of flavor from the base—using cornbread instead of plain white bread
- Be slightly sweet to balance savory elements
- Include generous mix-ins—meat, aromatics, herbs, and toasted nuts—without overwhelming the texture
- Be moist and tender but not soggy
- Be irresistible enough that guests go back for seconds
Some cooks prefer a very mild stuffing so it only complements the turkey and gravy. I believe stuffing should be delicious in its own right while still working alongside the rest of the meal. After testing and tweaking, I landed on a version that delivers layered textures—crumbly sausage, tender cornbread, crisp bacon, and crunchy pecans—with a savory yet straightforward herb profile and a golden-brown top with a soft interior.
If that sounds like the kind of stuffing you want on your table, read on.
STUFFING VS. DRESSING
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing often depends on regional preference. In much of the South it’s called dressing whether it’s cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish; elsewhere “stuffing” is common. Labels aside, one important safety point matters more than semantics:
Do not bake stuffing inside the turkey. Stuffing is porous and soaks up liquids—including juices that may contain bacteria. To be safe, stuffing must reach 165°F throughout, and because it sits in the turkey cavity it heats more slowly than the meat. That can force a choice between undercooked stuffing or overcooked turkey. To avoid that problem, bake the stuffing separately in a dish.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CORNBREAD STUFFING WITH SAUSAGE AND BACON
Cooking the stuffing separately still lets you build deep flavor. Follow these steps for the best results:
- Make your own croutons. Skip preseasoned commercial bread—it’s often too salty and lacks ideal texture. Bake a homemade cornbread (you can prepare it up to three days ahead), cube it, tear some pieces for texture variation, and dry the cubes in a low oven. Dried bread absorbs liquid more effectively than simply stale bread.
- Cook the meat and aromatics. Sauté bacon and sausage first, reserving some drippings. Use those drippings to sauté onion and celery so they absorb maximum flavor. Cooking these ingredients ahead ensures they’re fully done and flavorful, rather than relying on the oven to finish them.
- Combine everything. In a large bowl, mix the dried cornbread with bacon, sausage, sautéed vegetables, toasted pecans, chopped herbs, melted butter, and reserved drippings. Add chicken stock a little at a time—start with half-cup increments—until the cornbread is moist but not soggy. The mixture should hold moisture without pooled liquid at the bottom.
- Bake in a dish. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake to heat through, then remove the foil toward the end to let the top brown and crisp. This method yields a tender interior with a nicely caramelized surface.
- Garnish and serve. Finish with chopped parsley and a few fresh sage leaves to add color and freshness to the golden-brown top.
CAN I MAKE THE STUFFING AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes. You can assemble this cornbread stuffing the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator, then bake it when the turkey is done. Alternatively, you can bake it ahead and reheat on the day—both approaches work well and save time during holiday prep. Leftovers also reheat nicely; I tested this recipe by eating it for days and it held up beautifully.
The Best Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Bacon
5 Stars
5 from 1 review
- Author: Morgan
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 14 servings
Ingredients
- 1 batch Honey-Buttermilk Cornbread (see your preferred cornbread recipe)
- 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
- 1 pound peppered bacon, cut into lardons
- 1 pound sage-flavored sausage (or uncooked breakfast sausage), casings removed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more to garnish
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons dried rubbed sage
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- About 3 cups chicken stock
- Fresh sage leaves, to top
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 300°F. Cut cornbread into cubes, tearing some pieces for texture, and spread across two rimmed baking sheets. Toast, flipping once, until dried and golden, about 45 minutes.
- Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Lightly butter a 13 x 9″ baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until fragrant and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Fry the bacon until crisp and transfer to a separate bowl, leaving about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan. Cook the sausage in the same skillet, breaking it up until browned and cooked through, then add it to the bowl with the bacon.
- Sauté the onion in the remaining drippings for 2 minutes, then add the celery and cook until the onion is softened.
- Combine the dried cornbread, bacon, sausage, onions, celery, pecans, and herbs in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter and taste for seasoning.
- Add chicken stock a half cup at a time until the mixture is moist but not watery. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, tuck a few fresh sage leaves on top, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the surface is deeply browned, about 25–35 more minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and extra sage, and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 mins
