One bite of my flavorful make-ahead Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans, and you will be in food heaven. This recipe epitomizes everything good about the holidays, and the aroma wafting through your house while it cooks is intoxicating.
This recipe was my Mom’s, and it has stood the test of time with an amazing flavor from crispy cornbread, tasty pork sausage, and rich buttery roasted pecans.
Why you will love this recipe:
If you are looking for the perfect dressing for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you are in the right place. Savory Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans is incredible and makes the perfect holiday side dish.
- You will love it because it’s delicious.
- It can be made several months ahead and freezes beautifully with no loss of flavor or texture.
- And, best of all, it’s quick and easy to make.
What’s the difference between dressing and stuffing?
You may be wondering what the difference is between stuffing and dressing? The quick answer is that it is the same thing and the only difference is whether it’s stuffed inside a turkey or cooked in a baking dish.
But here in the south, most home cooks call it dressing, and that’s what I’m sticking with regardless of whether it’s cooked in the turkey or not. Stuffing sounds, well, it sounds just a little unpleasant.
Speaking of dressing, I usually serve two types, this one, and my Southern Cornbread Dressing, another old-fashioned recipe. It may seem excessive, but it’s my favorite side dish and I can never decide which I like the best, so I make both.
Here’s what you will need:
- Cornbread: I always make my own and recommend either using my recipe for Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread which doesn’t contain any flour and is gluten-free, or my Traditional Cornbread. Also, around the holidays, most grocery stores have it premade and available for purchase. Try to avoid buying cornbread with sugar added.
- Onion and celery: traditional ingredients in cornbread dressing, these classics add great flavor and crunch.
- Pork sausage: an essential ingredient in this recipe is heavily seasoned ground pork. It is sometimes called breakfast sausage and is often found packed in a cylinder shape close to where bacon is sold in grocery stores. You can also buy it in bulk from your butcher. Jimmy Deans is a popular brand. I usually use either regular or sage flavor.
- Roasted pecans: are my favorite nuts, and they add a sweet, nutty, buttery element to this dressing. Roasting them first brings out their delicious essence.
- Turkey, or chicken stock: either stock works well in this recipe and adds both moisture and flavor.
- Egg and seasonings: the egg helps to bind everything together. Poultry seasoning with its notes of sage and thyme, plus the classics, kosher salt, and pepper, enhance the flavors and round out this recipe.
How to make this recipe:
- Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for four minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and celery and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the sausage is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat and drain any grease. Set aside.
- Mix one cup of the chicken or turkey stock and the egg in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
- Place the cornbread in a large bowl. Add the cooked sausage.
- Add the roasted pecans, poultry seasoning, kosher salt, ground black pepper, chicken or turkey stock, and egg and toss to combine. If you like moister dressing, add additional stock, about one-quarter of a cup at a time, until the dressing is the consistency you like. (It will dry out a little when it is cooked.)
- Place the dressing in a two-quart baking dish which has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray.
- To bake, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crusty.
- Serve immediately.
How to make it ahead:
- I recommend making the cornbread at least a day ahead or even several months ahead. The cornbread will keep well if covered tightly and frozen for up to several months. I always make my own and recommend either using my recipe for Old-Fashioned Cornbread, which doesn’t contain any flour and is gluten-free, or my Traditional Southern-Style Cornbread. Also, around the holidays, most grocery stores have it premade and available for purchase. Try to avoid buying cornbread with sugar added.
- The sausage, onion, and celery mixture can be made a day to several months ahead too. It should be stored covered in your refrigerator for a day or two or frozen for up to several months. I like to store it in a plastic storage freezer bag.
- The third option is to follow the complete recipe and store it in a plastic storage freezer bag for a day or two in the refrigerator or in the freezer for several months. You can also go ahead and place it into your baking dish, cover and store in the refrigerator for a day or two, or freeze. If frozen, take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge the night before you will be cooking it, and allow it to thaw first before baking it.
Sharon’s tips:
If you have a turkey with giblets, it’s easy to make your own turkey stock. Place the giblets and four cups of water in a medium-size saucepan, add one teaspoon of salt and one-half teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove the giblets. Voila, turkey stock!
Either chicken or turkey stock works great in this dish. If you would like to make your own chicken stock, here is a link for making homemade chicken stock.
If I don’t have homemade stock I use Better than Boullion. It comes in chicken, turkey, beef, and even ham flavors, and one tiny jar makes over two gallons of stock. I don’t have any relationship with this company; I just like it and think you will too.
This recipe has been updated a bit to save a step. The older version called for cutting the cornbread into cubes and toasting them before combining them with the rest of the ingredients. If you prefer this method, cut it into small cubes or crumble and place it on a baking sheet to toast the cornbread. Place it in a 400-degree oven and toast it for 8-10 minutes or until the cornbread is light golden brown.
Roasted pecans are not only delicious in this recipe, but they also make a fabulous pecan appetizer. However, when I use roasted pecans as an ingredient in a recipe, I usually just pop them in a 350-degree oven on a baking sheet for eight to ten minutes.
Did you know you can also microwave pecans? This is a great method, especially if you are only roasting a cup or so. Place them on a microwave-safe plate in an even layer and microwave them for one minute intervals until they are golden and toasted.
If you have leftover dressing, it can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to four days. It can also be frozen for several months.
Related recipes:
There is no doubt about it; Thanksgiving and Christmas are food lovers’ holidays. And, if you are looking for some new recipes, I think you might also like these roundups, which are full of quick, easy, and mostly make-ahead options.
- 42 Best Savory Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
- 35 of the Best and Easiest Sweet Potatoe Recipes
- 22 No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
- 25 Best Thanksgiving Dressing and Stuffing Recipes
- 40 Best Desserts for Thanksgiving
- 50 Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
- 27 Best Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes and Menu Ideas
- 29 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes
- 25 Best Christmas Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
- 30 Easy and Elegant Christmas Dinner Recipes and Menu Ideas
And, in the event you need even more inspiration, check out all of my Thanksgiving recipes or Christmas recipes by clicking on the links.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Make-Ahead Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 cups cornbread crumbled (a 9 or 10-inch inch round of cornbread)
- 16 oz package of pork sausage sage or regular
- 1 cup chopped celery about 4 ribs
- 1 cup onion finely diced, equivalent of 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup pecans chopped and roasted
- 2 cups chicken or turkey stock add one cup, if needed, add more
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for four minutes. Add the chopped onion and celery and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the sausage is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat and drain any grease. Set aside.
- Mix one cup of the chicken or turkey stock and the egg in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
- Place the cornbread in a large bowl. Add the cooked sausage, roasted pecans, poultry seasoning, Kosher salt, ground black pepper, chicken or turkey stock, and egg and toss to combine. If you like moister dressing, add additional stock, about one-quarter of a cup at a time, until the dressing is the consistency you like. (It will dry out a little when it is cooked.)
- Mix 1 cup of the chicken or turkey stock and egg together in a small bowl until well blended.
- When ready to assemble, add the toasted cornbread, sausage mixture, poultry seasoning, pecans, chicken or turkey stock, and egg to a large bowl and mix well. (Add 1 cup of chicken or turkey stock and mix. If you like moister dressing add additional stock, about 1/4 cup at a time until the dressing is the consistency you like. It will dry out a little when it is cooked. )
- Place the dressing in a two-quart baking dish which has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray.
- To bake, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crusty.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally published on November 6, 2016. It is being republished on November 21, 2020, with new photos, expanded directions, a slight change to the recipe, and the addition of make-ahead tips.
If you make it ahead and freeze, do you cook on thanksgiving straight from freezer, or thaw ahead? If straight from freezer, what time & temperature?
Hi Katy,
If you make this dressing ahead of time and freeze it, make sure to wrap it tightly so no air can get in. Also, I wouldn’t freeze it for more than a few weeks before Thanksgiving. I recommend taking it out of the freezer the night before and letting it thaw out in your refrigerator and then just following the recipe directions for baking it. Sometimes when you try to cook a casserole that is still frozen the sides dry out before the center is cooked so it works better to let it thaw. If it looks dry, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth over it before you bake it.
Good luck and let me know if there is anything else I can help with.
Sharon
Love that you can make this ahead of time, you seem to be a very organized person. Great pics!!!!