Sausage Apple Cranberry Cornbread Dressing
This holiday-ready cornbread dressing combines sausage, apples, and cranberries for a complete side dish that assembles quickly from pre-made cornbread. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any festive meal, it can be prepared a day ahead and baked when needed. The cast iron skillet method delivers a golden-brown top with minimal effort.
Equipment
- 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Casserole Dish
- Trivet
- Whisk
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 batch Southern Cornbread cooked and cooled
- 8 oz Country Sausage
- ¼ cup Butter grass-fed, salted, for sautéing
- 2 tablespoon Butter grass-fed, salted, for greasing pan
- 1 cup Onions yellow, small dice
- 1 cup Celery small dice
- 2 cups Granny Smith Apple peeled, diced small
- 1 cup Cranberries whole
- 2 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 quart Chicken Stock
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt Morton brand
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper ground
- 2 Eggs large
Optional Substitution
- 1 package Frozen Mirepoix 12 oz, chopped, replaces onions and celery
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Crumble the cooled Southern Cornbread into small crumbles.
- Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes until dried out.
Cook
- Cook the country sausage in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown.
- Remove sausage from pan, crumble, and set aside.
- Add ¼ cup butter, onions, and celery to the same skillet with the sausage fat.
- Sauté on medium-low until the onions begin to caramelize.
- Add the diced apple and cranberries and sauté until the apples soften and the cranberries start to pop, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk together the chicken stock, poultry seasoning, sugar, pepper, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cooked vegetables, apples, and cranberries to the chicken stock mixture.
- Add the crumbled sausage and the dried cornbread.
- Mix well until the cornbread has absorbed the liquid.
Assemble
- Add 2 tablespoon butter to the skillet and spread evenly.
- Transfer the dressing mixture back into the skillet or a buttered casserole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Serve in the pan on a trivet.
Make Ahead Option
- Assemble the dressing the day before in the skillet or a buttered casserole dish.
- Cover and refrigerate for no more than one day.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours before baking.
- Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Notes
This dressing relies on pre-made Southern Cornbread as the base, making it a true assembly meal when you have batch components ready. The cornbread needs to be dried out in the oven for 20 minutes to properly absorb the stock mixture without turning mushy. Store unbaked dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to one day—any longer and food safety becomes a concern with the raw eggs and stock combination. If baking from cold, add 5-10 minutes to the bake time and check that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. The sausage, apple, and cranberry combination brings sweetness and savory depth that works for Thanksgiving but doesn't feel overly traditional. Leftovers reheat well in a 350-degree oven covered with foil for 15-20 minutes.
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