Spicy Cheddar and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

My grandmother made plain cornbread stuffing every year and it was fine. Then one Thanksgiving someone brought a version with sausage and jalapeños and nobody touched the plain one again. That’s a bit ruthless in retrospect, but the lesson stuck: once you add good sausage and some heat to a cornbread stuffing, there’s no going back to the quiet version.

How to Make Spicy Cheddar and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Dry the cornbread ahead

Cornbread needs to be fully dried out before it goes into the stuffing. Fresh cornbread turns to paste. Cut it into cubes and leave it out overnight, or spread it on a sheet pan and dry it in a low oven for 30 minutes. Either way works.

Brown the sausage, then build

Break up the sausage in the pan and cook it until genuinely browned, not just cooked through. The browned bits matter for flavor. Add onions to the same pan so they pick up the fat and fond left behind by the sausage.

Broth, not too much

Add the broth gradually. The cornbread should be moist but not wet. Different cornbreads absorb differently. Start with less and add more as needed. Soggy stuffing can’t be fixed once it’s in the oven.

Spicy Cheddar and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

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• Author: Matt Robinson
• Total Time: 105 minutes
• Yield: Serves 12 1x
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

Jalapeños, cheddar, and sausage give this cornbread stuffing a kick. A Thanksgiving side thats anything but ordinary!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 cups (1893 ml) dried cornbread
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 (340 g) Jones Dairy Farm Pork Sausage
• 2 cups (473 ml) chopped yellow onions
• 0.5 cups (118 ml) 1/4-inch slices celery
• 0.5 cups (118 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (473 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 cups (355 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (237 ml) cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.125 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 medium jalapeño chile
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 0.75 cups (178 ml) fontina cheese
• 0.75 cups (178 ml) sharp cheddar cheese
• 0.33 cups (80 ml) parmesan cheese
• 0.25 cups (60 ml) packed light brown sugar
• 0.75 cups (178 ml) (3.5 ounces) frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup (237 ml) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

1. Stuffing
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 9×13 casserole pan and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onions, stir and break up sausage; cook until sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add to a bowl with bread, then stir in herbs, salt, and pepper.
4. Drizzle in 1 cup of broth and gently toss.
5. Whisk together 1 cup of broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to the bread mixture and gently fold until thoroughly combined.
6. Transfer to the prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F (71°C), about 40 minutes.
7. Cornbread
8. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cover an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
9. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne, jalapeño, salt, and cheeses until combined. Create a well in the center and set aside.
10. In a food processor or blender, process brown sugar, thawed corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds.
11. Add eggs and process until well combined (a few corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.
12. Pour the wet mixture into the well of dry ingredients and begin folding until just combined. Add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened.
13. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and use an offset spatula to smooth out the surface.
14. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
15. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and allow to cool for about 25 minutes.
16. Cut into ¼ inch pieces and allow to dry out completely, about 2 days, or place in a 200°F (93°C) oven and bake for 3 hours.

Notes

• For a richer flavor, use homemade cornbread instead of store-bought.
• To prevent soggy stuffing, ensure the cornbread is completely cooled and dried before adding it to the sausage mixture.
• Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Oven-Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 10
• Sodium: 700
• Fat: 28
• Saturated Fat: 16
• Unsaturated Fat: 10
• Carbohydrates: 50
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 15
• Cholesterol: 100

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