Gotta Have It! Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
How did I get the name- Gotta Have It! Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing? When I ask my family what we should make for Thanksgiving, they say, “we’ve gotta have cornbread stuffing.” It is as simple as that. We love that it has a lot going on. The cornbread is a bit sweet, the sausage plays off of that really well and the pecans add nuttiness and crunch. The fresh herbs and the sage in the sausage I use (Jimmy Dean’s regular or sage varieties) also makes it taste like the holiday.
Thanksgiving is like my Super Bowl of cooking (that’s straight from my loving husband). So of course, I also make a Traditional Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing. You can’t mess with tradition, right?!? I always make Mom’s Broccoli Cheese Casserole and Ridonculous Gluten Free Mac and Cheese too. Off and on when we have had a smaller group, I make a Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey. It makes the whole day of cooking and “lack of space in my oven” situation much easier as well. Win-win!
Ah-mazing Gluten Free Cornbread
Of course you can’t have Gotta Have It! Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing without cornbread… so here’s a link to the Gluten Free Cornbread you will need to make the stuffing. This is a slightly sweet version of cornbread that is also pretty versatile for handling food allergies and substitutions. Once it is baked and cooled, cut it into 1 inch cubes and spread it out in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Let it sit out uncovered overnight or place in a 275 degree oven for about 20 minutes to dry it out a bit.
The Good Stuff
The remaining good stuff that goes into this stuffing can be prepped a day ahead. The sausage needs to be cooked and broken apart into chunks. The onions, celery, garlic and herbs need to be chopped and cooked until softened. These can be stored in the fridge until you are ready to put it all together.
Combine & Bake
Now all of the delicious cooked sausage, herbs, onions, pecans and cornbread go in one big bowl and get combined gently. Gradually add the chicken stock to moisten the mixture. You want it to be moist, but not dripping wet. Pour it into a greased casserole dish and it is ready to bake. It will be slightly browned and crisp on the top, moist inside and loaded with flavor!
I adapted this recipe from one by Anne Burrell to come up with this gluten free version. She also added cranberries in hers. I haven’t tried it that way, but it sounds like a delicious addition. Let me know in the comments below if you give it a try!
Gotta Have It! Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Cornbread
- olive oil for the pan
- ½ cup sweet onion (small dice)
- 2 ribs celery (small dice)
- ½ Lb sausage (I like Jimmy Dean's regular or sage varieties)
- 2 tsp fresh garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 heaping Tbsp fresh sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 heaping tsp fresh rosemary (pulled from tough stem and finely chopped)
- ½ cup unsalted pecans (roughly chopped)
- 2-3 cups chicken stock or broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prep the cornbread: Make 1 recipe of cornbread muffins (or bake it in a 9 x 9 baking pan). Once cooled, cut into 1 inch cubes. Lay the cubes out on baking sheets. Let sit overnight to dry out or place in a 275 degree oven for 20 minutes.
- In a pan, over medium heat, break up the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. It is done when it is no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside in a small dish.
- In the same pan you cooked the sausage in, add a little olive oil if there weren’t a lot of drippings from the sausage. Over medium heat, add the onion and celery. Cook until softened slightly. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Turn the heat off and add the fresh herbs. Stir to combine.
- Put your cornbread cubes in a very large bowl and pour the onion mixture and pecans on top. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine everything.
- Slowly add a little stock at a time and continue mixing. You may want to use your hands to get the bottom (where the liquid will settle) all over the bread cubes. It will be pretty wet, but not dripping. You may not need all of the stock.
- Put the cornbread mixture into the greased 9 x 13 pan.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and it is heated through. You may need to cover it part way through baking if it starts to brown too quickly. It will be ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven.
