Cast Iron Cornbread Dressing with Sausage
By Erica TurnerPublished on September 23, 2024
Time
2¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Cornbread
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon table salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2½ cups buttermilk 2 large eggsDressing
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided1 pound bulk breakfast sausage 3 cups finely chopped onion 1½ cups finely chopped celery 1¼ teaspoons table salt 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage ½ teaspoon pepper 3 cups chicken broth 3 large eggs, lightly beatenBefore You Begin
The cornbread was developed for this dressing; do not substitute another cornbread. We developed this recipe with Quaker Yellow Corn Meal; its fine grind gives the stuffing a more cohesive texture, but stone-ground or coarse-ground cornmeal can be used, if desired. Toasting the cornmeal helps bring out its flavor; don't skip this step.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toast cornmeal in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer cornmeal to large bowl and stir in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Place skillet in oven for 10 minutes. Using pot holders, remove skillet from oven and add butter. When butter is melted, pour all but 1 tablespoon into cornmeal mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs and whisk well until combined.
- Working quickly, scrape batter into skillet with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown and sides of bread pull away from edge of pan, about 15 minutes. Transfer skillet to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Invert cornbread onto wire rack. Reinvert cornbread and let cool for 15 minutes. Wipe out skillet.
- Using paring knife, trim outer ½ inch of bread to remove browned sides. Break trimmings into ½-inch pieces and transfer to bowl; set aside. Break remaining cornbread into 1-inch pieces and transfer to large bowl.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, using wooden spoon to break meat into small pieces, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, salt, and 1 tablespoon butter and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in thyme, sage, and pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer sausage mixture to bowl with larger cornbread pieces. Add broth and eggs and stir gently to combine.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat, tilting skillet occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Pour browned butter over smaller cornbread pieces and toss to coat.
- Transfer dressing to now-empty skillet. Top with browned butter–cornbread pieces. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer skillet to wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
for the cornbread
for the dressing
Time
2¼ hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Cornbread
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cornbread
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cornbread
Dressing
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A cast-iron skillet is the centerpiece of this recipe, as we use it to toast the cornmeal, bake the cornbread, cook the sausage and aromatics, and bake the finished dressing. A cast-iron skillet is the vessel of choice for Southern cornbread because of its ability to retain heat and produce crisp, browned edges. Baking a bread with 100 percent cornmeal and no flour meant that it kept its structure and didn't dissolve into mush when chicken broth, sautéed aromatics, sausage, and eggs were added. Once the cornbread was baked, we cut off its crisp, browned circumference and tossed the trimmings in rich, nutty browned butter. Sprinkled atop the dressing, the buttery nuggets formed a craggy, crunchy contrast to the plush interior.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
The cornbread was developed for this dressing; do not substitute another cornbread. We developed this recipe with Quaker Yellow Corn Meal; its fine grind gives the stuffing a more cohesive texture, but stone-ground or coarse-ground cornmeal can be used, if desired. Toasting the cornmeal helps bring out its flavor; don't skip this step.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toast cornmeal in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer cornmeal to large bowl and stir in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Place skillet in oven for 10 minutes. Using pot holders, remove skillet from oven and add butter. When butter is melted, pour all but 1 tablespoon into cornmeal mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs and whisk well until combined.
- Working quickly, scrape batter into skillet with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown and sides of bread pull away from edge of pan, about 15 minutes. Transfer skillet to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Invert cornbread onto wire rack. Reinvert cornbread and let cool for 15 minutes. Wipe out skillet.
- Using paring knife, trim outer ½ inch of bread to remove browned sides. Break trimmings into ½-inch pieces and transfer to bowl; set aside. Break remaining cornbread into 1-inch pieces and transfer to large bowl.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, using wooden spoon to break meat into small pieces, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, salt, and 1 tablespoon butter and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in thyme, sage, and pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer sausage mixture to bowl with larger cornbread pieces. Add broth and eggs and stir gently to combine.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat, tilting skillet occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Pour browned butter over smaller cornbread pieces and toss to coat.
- Transfer dressing to now-empty skillet. Top with browned butter–cornbread pieces. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer skillet to wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
for the cornbread
for the dressing
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