Pepper-and-Sausage Cornbread Dressing

By Sam Sifton

Updated November 2, 2015

  • Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1¼ hours
Rating
4(135)
Comments
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This dressing combines corn bread, turkey broth, three kinds of pepper and a healthy scattering of fiery sausage for a Thanksgiving dish that is crunchy on top, moist within and alive with flavor. The copious use of that turkey broth, or a good chicken broth, is crucial here; also necessary is an understanding that the cooking should last long enough to crisp the exterior without burning it, while not going on so long as to dry out the dish. When in doubt, add a splash more broth. And know that this dish works well for any gluten-avoiders at your table; the related cornbread recipe does not use wheat flour.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ pounds andouille sausage, or substitute fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage

  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

  • 2 ribs celery, cleaned and diced

  • 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced

  • 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced

  • 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped

  • 1 to 2 cups turkey or chicken stock (recipe here; if using store-bought broth, use low-sodium variety)

  • 2 whole eggs, beaten

  • 1 pan corn bread (recipe here), cut into chunks and allowed to dry overnight (alternatively, toast fresh corn bread in warming oven for approximately 10 minutes)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)

7 grams carbs; 45 milligrams cholesterol; 123 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 283 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in large flat-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add onions and reduce heat to medium, then sauté until they begin to turn clear and soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add celery and peppers and continue cooking until peppers begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Pour vegetable mixture into bowl with sausage, add cilantro and toss to mix.

  4. Step 4

    Return pan to heat and deglaze with a splash of chicken stock, then scrape contents into bowl with sausage and vegetable mixture.

  5. Step 5

    Pour mixture into a large roasting pan and add beaten eggs and cubed corn bread, mixing by hand. Add turkey or chicken stock to moisten, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is soft and the flavors well incorporated. For a crunchy top, remove foil for final 10 minutes of cooking. Dressing can be made ahead of time and reheated later. Add additional stock if needed, and salt and pepper to taste.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
135 user ratings
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Comments

Craig E.

I am now the biggest Sam Sifton fan! Since my cooking is usually limited to around holiday times, I always need recipe suggestions. Put this together today on a test run and it is so tasty that we ate it all for a late lunch. Great to find a dish with a little kick to it. In fact I added a small habanero just for laughs. The family is used to spicy foods and this is already a favorite. Plus you got me to finally buy Kosher salt. Enjoy your holidays.

Anne H

I have, happily, made this recipe for the last two years. Make sure you cut up the corn bread in small pieces so everything blends nicely. I use all the recommended peppers, and the stuffing has a nice kick that pairs nicely with turkey and gravy.

Mike

I've made this twice. First time it was good but dry and I was conservative with spice. Second time I was generous with the broth and it was fantastic. I used a mix of spicy Italian and non-spicy sausage. I may experiment with adding even more heat the next time as both times it was mild but tasty. Also, I'm too lazy to make cornbread so I got pre-made from the grocery store. Cut into cubes the night before and it was great. This is a keeper.

Anne Hess

I make this every year. It is fabulous. I have learned to make 1/2 the recipe because a full recipe makes way too much stuffing.

Tracy

Terrible. Followed recipe exactly. Used anaheim & serrano peppers & hot Italian sausage. Biggest mistake: using the linked recipe for cornbread. Vile, so that wasn't a strong start. Hot Italian sausage is not a good choice mixed with the pepper mix. Anaheim peppers were a negative, & there wasn't much seasoning outside of the sausage. Even with better cornbread, it would be less than the sum of its parts. The only + was that it was GF, but I would rather not eat stuffing than eat this.

Kweaver

I made this same recipe from Sam’s book, “Thanksgiving”. It doesn’t have eggs in the book version and it is delicious.

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Credits

Adapted from "Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well" by Sam Sifton

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