This savory Sausage Dressing uses store bought stuffing mix and a quick and easy homemade corn bread. Flavored with sage and celery, this is one of the best Thanksgiving sides that you'll ever taste.

Growing up in our home during the holidays, you could predict what would be on our dinner table.

My mother always cooked the whole spread, from what I could remember. Chicken dressing, ham (because I didn't grow up with turkey), a can of cranberry sauce, and lot's of sweet potato pie. (I didn't grow up with pumpkin pies, either)

I can't remember what all was on that table, besides those things. I was super picky when I was a kid. That was just what I ate! Ha!

I do remember there being plenty of food though, and family would pile their plates high. There was green stuff in there, maybe green beans? And I am sure mashed potatoes.

However, my mother made chicken dressing, like nobody else. It was something that was special.

I'm not sure where she learned to make it. I wasn't much into cooking back then, unless you count peanut butter cookies. I made those all the time!

Where ever the recipe came from the tradition was carried on for years. Even after she passed away, I still made it. It never did taste the exact same, but it was pretty close.

I haven't ever shared that recipe here, but I plan on it closer to Christmas. We eat dressing on both holidays. Do you?

So that brings us to Sausage Dressing. Since I've never really known my mother's actual recipe, and I sort of went with my own chicken dressing recipe, I don't ever feel like I have to stick to that one tradition that I grew up on.

I like trying out different holiday recipes, including the dressing.

How do you make sausage dressing?

You begin by browning the chicken sausage, sauteing the celery and onions, and then tossing it in a large bowl with boxed stuffing mix, fresh corn bread, one egg, cream of chicken soup and chicken stock.

This makes for a super moist, and uber tasty dressing

What sausage should I use?

I like using ground chicken sausage, I buy from Whole Foods. However, mild Italian sausage or just a regular pork sausage will work in this recipe. If your family likes more spice, feel free to use a spicy sausage.

If you're using a sausage that comes in a casing, you'll want to remove that before cooking it.

Can I make sausage dressing the day before?

Yes. I always make mix up my dressing the day before, cover with press and seal wrap, and bake the morning of.

My tip for doing this, is to have extra chicken stock on hand. I like to check the center for moisture before baking. If it seems to have dried out a touch, you'll want to just pour a little extra stock on top.

Tips for the best dressing:

If you notice your stuffing turning too brown on top, cover it with foil, to finish baking.
Too wet? Just line a large baking sheet with foil, and spoon it out evenly. Bake, but keep your eye on it, you don't want it to burn.
If it's too dry, just pour some warm stock over the top, and cover with foil until ready to serve.

Sausage Dressing Mix Ins:

½ cup dried cranberries - Sausage Cranberry Dressing
Instead of condensed chicken soup, use condensed mushroom, and add in 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, when sauteing the celery and onion. - Sausage Mushroom Dressing
Add 1 cup diced apples, and saute with the celery and onion - Sausage Apple Dressing

More holiday ideas for your dinner table:

Yield: 8

Sausage Dressing

Name: Sausage Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter; 1 sweet onion, diced small; 3 celery stalks, diced small; 1 pound ground chicken sausage; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage; 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning; 1 box stuffing mix (like Stove Top); 2 1/2 cups corn bread - crumbled* (recipe in notes); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 egg, beaten; 1 carton cream of chicken soup (like Pacific Foods brand); 2 cups low sodium chicken stock; 2 tablespoons butter, sliced thin

This savory Sausage Dressing uses store bought stuffing mix and a quick and easy homemade corn bread. Flavored with sage and celery, this is one of the best Thanksgiving sides that you'll ever taste.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion, diced small
3 celery stalks, diced small
1 pound ground chicken sausage
1 ½ teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 box stuffing mix (like Stove Top)
2 ½ cups corn bread - crumbled* (recipe in notes)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 carton cream of chicken soup (like Pacific Foods brand)
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter, sliced thin

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a casserole dish, set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the sausage until no longer pink. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
In the same pan, add the 4 tablespoons of butter, and saute the celery and onion, until tender. About 6 minutes.
Add the sausage back to the pan and stir in the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and sage. Stir.
In a large bowl, pour in the stuffing mix, crumbled corn bread, egg, stock, cream of chicken soup, and sausage mixture. Give a good stir to mix it all together.
Pour into prepared casserole dish, and place the thinly sliced butter all over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Notes

Corn Bread:

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup flour
¾ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is up to temperature, place the 2 tablespoons of oil into a 10 inch cast iron skillet, and place into the oven. Do not leave the pan in the oven longer than 12 minutes. You want the oil hot, but not burning.
Melt the butter in a medium sized bowl. Set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl with the melted butter, whisk in the buttermilk, followed by the egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until the batter is moistened. It's a thick sticky batter, but that's what you're looking for.
Pull the pan from the oven, and pour the batter into the pan, and spread the batter to the edges.
Place the pan back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a heat safe surface for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes are up, place a plate on top of the cornbread pan, and using a hot pad to hold the handle, carefully flip the cornbread over. Serve warm for best results.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1037mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 22g