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This recipe for Sausage Cornbread Dressing has been the favorite at our house for decades! Corn bread stuffing combined with sausage and brown rice make a delicious combination.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Family Favorite: This sausage cornbread stuffing recipe is my families favorite Thanksgiving side dish. It is a traditional cornbread stuffing with sausage and brown rice.
Flavor Combo: I love the combination of cornbread stuffing, sausage and brown rice in this recipe. The brown rice adds a nice texture and a nutty flavor. It has the perfect flavor combination to compliment your Thanksgiving turkey and Thanksgiving menu.
Ingredients Needed
- Cornbread Dressing. NOT “Stove Top Stuffing Mix”, you want just the dry stuffing mix that comes in a bag or box.
- Brown Rice, cooked according to directions on package.
- Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
- Chicken Broth
- Celery
- Onion
- Butter, salted.
How to Make Sausage Cornbread Dressing:
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions, until fluffy.
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the celery and onions in the butter until they are soft.
- Mix together cooked rice, dressing, cooked sausage, celery and onion mixture in a large bowl.
- Add in chicken broth and stir to moisten.
- Place mixture in a 9 x 13 in baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until browned and crispy around edges.
Tips from leigh Anne
- One of the reasons I love making a dressing rather than a stuffing is that I can control the moisture. I don’t like a soggy, wet stuffing but prefer my dressing on the drier side. If you want this dressing damper, just add more gravy to it!
- You can use pork, chicken or turkey sausage in this recipe. Just use uncooked bulk sausage, not sausage links. If want to make this recipe vegetarian you can leave out the sausage all together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a stuffing and a dressing?
The main difference is the way it is cooked. Stuffing is cooked inside the cavity of the turkey and the juices of the turkey soak into the stuffing making it flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on it’s own and needs extra liquid to add flavor to it.
The terms are used interchangeably though.
How do you store leftover sausage cornbread dressing?
Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
I can’t find cornbread stuffing can I use regular or herbed stuffing?
Yes, sometimes the cornbread stuffing can be hard to find. I have used plain and herbed stuffing before.
Can I make sausage cornbread dressing ahead?
Yes, I always make mine 1-2 days ahead of time, keep it covered with foil and in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It is the perfect make ahead side dish.
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Sausage Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup brown rice
- 12` oz cornbread dressing 1 box
- 16 oz Jimmy Dean regular sausage 1 package
- 1 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Boil water and add brown rice. Cover and cook until rice is cooked and fluffy (about 30-45 minutes)
- Brown sausage.
- Melt butter and saute celery and onions until soft.
- Mix together cooked rice, dressing, cooked sausage, celery and onion mixture.
- Add in chicken broth and stir to moisten.
- Place in a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes until browned and crispy around edges.
Tips & Notes:
-
- One of the reasons I love making a dressing rather than a stuffing is that I can control the moisture. I don’t like a soggy, wet stuffing but prefer my dressing on the drier side. If you want this dressing damper, just add more gravy to it!
-
- You can use pork, chicken or turkey sausage in this recipe. Just use uncooked bulk sausage, not sausage links. If want to make this recipe vegetarian you can leave out the sausage all together.
- I always make my dressing 1-2 days ahead of time, keep it covered with foil and in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It is the perfect make ahead side dish.
Alice Lau says
I usually make an all meat stuffing, but I tried this stuffing with the corn bread and Jimmy Dean sausage for an early Thanksgiving dinner last month and my family “gobbled” it up.
They raved about it!
Erin says
I just got back from picking up all the ingredients, but ran into a snag when looking for cornbread dressing – nothing out here (in Ohio) comes in a box with two pouches! What brand do you use, and how many ounces of dressing are in the box?? Thanks for your help!
Leigh Anne says
you could just use any cornbread stuffing and I would think a box of it would work whether it has one or two bags in it? I have used the Mrs. Cubbison’s brand I think it is called .
Michelle says
Leigh Ann or anyone that can answer this question. In this dressing receipe it says use 1 box corn bread dressing. Do you mean buy cornbread mix and make it like you would for regular dressing? Sorry, this may be a silly question, but I rarely cook.
Leigh Anne says
Not a silly question. You use the cornbread dressing mix that comes with the dried cubes of cornbread. Does this make sense?
Sarah Kay says
Don’t know if you were in Provo or not, but we were there for Kay family Thanksgiving and I HAD to run to Wal-Mart to pick up the caramel chips you claimed were only in the Provo Wal-Mart. LOL. I am sure I will get around to making your recommended dessert, but the thrill of having something no one else in my city has is even sweeter.
Susan says
My family and friends LOVED this stuffing. Thanks so much for sharing it!