Cornbread dressing (or stuffing, if that’s your style!) is a southern specialty that we love beside a tangy cranberry sauce and turkey, whether it’s roasted, fried, or grilled. We put poblanos and jalapeños in ours, but other green chiles, like serranos or hatch, will work great, too! Check out this video to see how it’s done!
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
- 1/2 large red onion, small dice (about 1 cup)
- 3 poblano peppers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with butter, and set aside.
- Place the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the milk and eggs in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Add to the cornmeal mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir just until incorporated. Stir in the melted butter until no streaks remain.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove the dish to a wire rack and let cool overnight. Leave the cornbread uncovered while it cools, so it becomes slightly dry before making the stuffing.
- For the stuffing, preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, using a spatula to break the sausage into bite-size pieces, until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onion, poblano, and jalapeño, if using. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the chiles and onions are soft and beginning to brown around the edges. Transfer to a large bowl.
- To the bowl with the sausage mixture, add the cornbread. Toss gently to combine. In a small bowl, beat together the stock, eggs, and thyme, then pour over the cornbread mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently until the cornbread is moistened.
- Transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes more.
