Cornbread and Andouille Dressing
Subscribe to our blog here!
Out of all the side dishes that are on the table at Thanksgiving, this dressing is far and away my favorite. A perfect compliment to the turkey and more importantly, to the gravy. Also, an absolute must have for your day after sandwich.
I like to use a little bit of stale french bread in addition to the cornbread. I find it gives the dressing a little body and a better color. So it’s also a perfect way to use a little leftover bread. Which, as we’ve talked about before, you should usually have in your freezer.
As far as the cornbread and the stock go, this is one recipe that I find using store bought items really has no effect. I usually always make my own stock because I’m a little nuts and take a little more enjoyment than I should from making stock. And plus, it’s Thanksgiving. You should most definitely have a big pot of turkey stock simmering on the stove. If not, store bought stock is fine.
Use the best andouille sausage you can find. It’s really the centerpiece of this dish. I know in anywhere but south Louisiana that can be a bit of a chore, but do your best. A lot of butcher and sausage shops in South Louisiana do indeed ship out of state. So shop around.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of cornbread cubed (If using box mix, this would be about 2 boxes)
- 1 cup of day old french bread cubed (or whatever bread you have)
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 lb andouille sausage cubed
- 1 onion diced
- 1 stalk of celery diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 4 cups turkey or chicken stock divided
- 1 teaspoon of sage
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place cubed breads in a large bowl. Heat butter in a pot on medium heat. Add sausage and cook just until nicely browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Leave all the drippings you can in the pot.
Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for about five minutes or until veggies have softened.
Add garlic and cook for another two minutes.
Add sausage back to the pot and stir.
Add one cup of stock and deglaze anything sticking to the pot.
Dump the contents of your pot in the bowl of bread. Mix well. Add one cup of stock at a time and mix. Do this until desired consistency is reached. (You’re shooting for a sponge like kind of consistency once everything is mixed well.)
Add sage and stir in. Add salt and peppers to taste.
Transfer dressing to a greased baking dish (9″x13″) and bake until nicely browned on top (15-20 minutes). Serve nice and hot with as much gravy as allowed by your local laws.
