Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (2024)

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by Stacey Updated: Nov 19, 2021

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This is one of the most delicious holiday cornbread dressing recipes! Loaded with seasoned sausage, green & red apples and plump, tart cranberries, Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing is moist and full of seasonal flavors. Subtly sweet and richly savory, this easy recipe is sure to become one of your favorites!

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (2)

Some years we like to mix things up a little bit for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Instead of our favorite , we like to make this wonderfully aromatic Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing.

It is chock full of delicious fall & winter flavors and has crisp, golden edges that just can’t be beat. Plus, nothing says holiday goodness like the sweet of the fruit against the savory, seasoned cornbread and sausage. It’s perfect sidekick for turkey, pork loin, even prime rib!

Related Recipes: Southern Chicken and Dressing, Cornbread and Squash Dressing

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (3)

Ingredients for Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing

  • yellow cornbread mix
  • sausage
  • Granny Smith & Honey Crisp Apples- unpeeled to add color
  • dried cranberries
  • onion
  • celery
  • chicken broth
  • cream of chicken soup
  • buttermilk
  • butter
  • eggs
  • poultry seasoning, salt & pepper
Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (4)

Why We Love Apple Cranberry Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

Another reason we love this recipe is that it is a real time saver. No sitting extra bread out to dry over night. And the fruit, meat, onions and celery are cooked right into the base cornbread (see photo above), creating a richly flavored, moist bread and cutting down on final bake time.

It’s also EASY! Because so many ingredients are baked right into the original cornbread, this is an easy dressing recipe that comes together in a snap!

Spicy sausage can be used if you like a little kick. It adds another layer of savory goodness that can’t be ignored.

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (5)

The making and the passing on of a good cornbread dressing recipe is almost a sacred thing here in the South. And this Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing is sure to take it’s proper place among your favorites. All the right flavors, baked up in just the right way, your family is going to love the cornbread dressing this year!

Other Thanksgiving Side Dishes You’ll Love

  • Southern Cornbread Pudding
  • Louisiana Dirty Rice
  • Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (7)

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing

One of the BEST Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipes for the holidays! Loaded with sausage, apples and cranberries, this dressing is moist and full of flavor.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Recipe, holiday

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Author: Stacey | SouthernDiscourse.com

Ingredients

  • 3 6.5 oz yellow cornbread mix packages
  • buttermilk as directed
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 lb ground sausage, browned
  • 1 medium honeycrisp apple, chopped
  • 1 medium granny smith apple, chopped
  • 1 C dried cranberries
  • ½ C diced yellow onion
  • ½ C diced celery
  • 1 10 ¾ oz can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 14 oz can chicken broth
  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 ° Fahrenheit. Add 1 tablespoon oil to your skillet. Place in oven while it is preheating.

  • Prepare cornbread in a mixing bowl as instructed on mix packages. Use buttermilk as a substitute for the water or milk designated on the mix. Use the same measurement for the buttermilk as designated on the mix for the other liquids.

  • Stir apples, cranberries, browned sausage, celery, and onion into the cornbread batter.

  • Pour cornbread batter into heated skillet. Bake for the time designated on the mix package. You may have to bake a few minutes longer to compensate for the moisture the apples release into the cornbread as it bakes.

  • Remove cornbread from oven after baking. Allow to cool, but not completely. Turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

  • While cornbread is still warm, remove from skillet and break into pieces in large mixing bowl. Add butter and mix together, breaking down the cornbread.

  • Add soup, eggs and seasonings to cornbread mixture. Mix ingredients together until all are well-incorporated. Stir in just enough broth so that the cornbread mixture looks almost like a batter again (don't make it overly wet), about half the can.

  • Spoon cornbread dressing into 9×13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 ° Fahrenheit for 30- 40 minutes or until dressing is golden brown and set in the middle.

Notes

This is a moist dressing that doesn’t need a gravy!

This dressing can also be made ahead of time and frozen. Allow to thaw for 24 hrs and allow dish to come to room temperature before baking. If made a day before, store in fridge, then bring to room temperature before baking.

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (8)

Did you make my Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing?Show me how it went! Share on Instagram, tag @southerndiscourse, and use the hashtag #SouthernDiscourse!

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Meet Stacey

Southern Discourse is a place where you can find southern family dishes, along with special recipes & table settings. Bringing connection & friendship back to the table by wrapping everything in the faith & grace from which true hospitality springs! Read More

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Comments

    Rate & Comment

  1. Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (11)jay

    Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (12)
    Absolutely perfect recipe – everyone loved it!

    Reply

    • Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (13)stacey

      Hi, Jay! Yay! Thank you so much! This absolutely made my day!

      Reply

  2. Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (14)Mitzi Appleby

    Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (15)
    I make it every year, it’s the best dressing my family have ever eaten. Delicious!

    Reply

    • Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (16)Stacey

      Hi, Mitzi! Thank you so much for making and loving this dressing! This makes my day. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply

  3. Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (17)Penny H Warren

    Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (18)
    I made this for a Christmas dinner last night and it was so good I’m making it for another one today. 10/10❤️

    Reply

    • Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (19)Stacey

      Hi, Penny! Wow, that is awesome! Thank you so much! Makes my day!

      Reply

Sausage Apple Cranberry Dressing (2024)

FAQs

Is it okay to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

Can you freeze stuffing? ›

Like we said, you can also freeze stuffing after it's baked. This option is better for freezing leftovers rather than prepping ahead. If you happened to make too much stuffing, you can portion the leftovers into food storage containers and pop in the freezer to enjoy during the days to come.

Can I refrigerate stuffing overnight before baking? ›

USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Why? Remember, stuffing can harbor bacteria, and though bacteria grow slower in the refrigerator they can cause problems because stuffing is a good medium for bacteria growth, therefore a higher risk food in terms of cooking safely.

How wet should stuffing be before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Is it better to freeze dressing cooked or uncooked? ›

“One advantage of freezing uncooked stuffing is that it has less of a tendency to dry out when being cooked,” says Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen culinary specialist.

Why can't you refrigerate uncooked stuffing? ›

Because stuffing is an excellent medium for bacterial growth, it's important to handle it safely and cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Here are some common ques- tions consumers ask. Stuffing should not be prepared ahead.

Is it better to freeze stuffing, cooked or uncooked? ›

Freezing Stuffing – If we plan on freezing the stuffing because we are doubling the recipe, we recommend freezing uncooked. This prevents it from drying out. Uncooked Stuffing – If you placed your uncooked stuffing in the oven safe baking dish.

Can stuffing be made the day before and reheated? ›

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

Can you cook stuffing the day before and reheat? ›

Reheating Stuffing

You can assemble the stuffing the day before you plan on serving it, just don't bake it until the day of. You'll do all the hands-on work: cubing and drying out the bread, cooking the vegetables and aromatics, and tossing them together with the eggs and broth.

How long can stuffing be refrigerated before cooking? ›

Stuffing may be refrigerated for up to three or four days, or frozen for longer storage. The same timing applies for stuffing that is cooked separately, too. Be sure to reheat any leftover stuffing and use a food thermometer to make sure it reaches 165°F once again before eating it.

Does stuffing keep overnight? ›

Most stuffings can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge overnight. In the US a stuffing that is cooked in a separate dish is known as a "dressing".

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