Ultimate Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (Gluten Free!)
This gluten free cornbread stuffing recipe will revolutionize your holiday (or everyday!) table. It’s rich and savory with onion, celery, sage and thyme, with irresistible sweetness from cornbread. It’s technically a cornbread dressing since it’s baked in its own dish, giving it a delicious crispy top, but you could stuff it inside a turkey or chicken (or roasted squash—see the tips below) if you prefer. You’ll need to start by making a batch of this Easy Skillet Cornbread (which can be made with gluten-free flour or regular flour). You can make the cornbread the day before (cover it and let it sit at room temperature), or you can make it months ahead and freeze it! For a vegetarian stuffing, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Servings: 6 -8 people
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 batch Skillet Cornbread (recipe link in header)
- Cooking spray or butter for pan
Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Assembly
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
Make the cornbread
- Make a batch of the skillet cornbread and let it cool (you can make the cornbread the day before, or you can even make it a month or two ahead and freeze it!).
- Cut the cornbread into 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes (you should have about 10-11 cups). Put the cornbread cubes into a large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spritz a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or rub it with butter.
Cook the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage and thyme. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the aromatics into the bowl with the cornbread.
Assemble and bake
- Add the chicken broth, milk, egg, parsley, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Fold to combine (some of the cornbread will crumble and that’s okay, but try to keep some cubes intact). Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and dot with the butter. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400˚F (200˚C), and continue baking until lightly toasted and golden brown on top, about 15-20 minutes longer. Serve warm.
Notes
Do Ahead: The cornbread stuffing can be baked 1 day ahead. Reheat in a warm oven before serving.
Tips:
- I prefer to bake this stuffing in a 9x13-inch or similar sized baking dish, which allows the top to get deliciously crispy (although you can stuff it inside poultry or roasted squash, if you prefer).
- The Cornbread Recipe can be made weeks ahead, giving you a jumpstart for special occasion meals and the holidays (hello Thanksgiving!).
- This stuffing is fantastic alongside roasted turkey, chicken or pork. It's also delicious with fried eggs and greens or sausage. For a vegetarian meal, try it in acorn squash (roast the squash until tender, then add the stuffing and cook until browned and crispy on top).