Mom's Sausage and Cornbread Dressing

My mom passed this recipe down to me before she passed away. I have had this dressing since I was a child, and to me it is the best I have ever tasted. This recipe is not a quick side dish, it needs time and work for prep and cooking, but is very worth it.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 474 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy®)
• 5 eggs, divided
• 3 tablespoons dried sage
• 1 package of giblets from a turkey, chopped
• 2 tablespoons shortening, melted
• 3 pounds hot Italian sausage
• 6 cups diced celery, or more to taste
• ½ cup diced hot peppers (Optional)
• 1 (14 ounce) can turkey broth

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add giblets and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard giblets, reserving water.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Step 3

Mix corn muffin mix, milk, egg, and shortening together in a bowl. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step 5

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add celery, onion, and hot peppers and continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes more. Drain and discard grease. Transfer sausage mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch casserole pan.

Step 7

Add giblet water, turkey broth, bread crumbs, cornbread, remaining eggs, sage, salt, and black pepper to the sausage mixture in the mixing bowl. Mix together well and transfer to the prepared casserole pan.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until slightly brown on top with darker brown edges, about 45 minutes, checking often. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.