Cajun Sausage Dressing

Bread – I use a combination of Jiffy for the cornbread and a loaf of potato bread here. You could make your own cornbread but considering how you’re drying it and adding it to a stuffing, you don’t need a high-quality recipe for this. Instead of potato bread, you could also use options like brioche or French bread.

Sausage – For this recipe I use both an andouille smoked sausage and a mild breakfast sausage. You could also use smoked sausage for the andouille and regular, spicy, sage, or any breakfast sausage you would prefer instead.

Cooking Fat – Use both neutral oil and butter for the cooking process. Just a bit of oil for starting the sausages and butter for the vegetables.

Vegetables – Use the usual Cajun “holy trinity” here of onion, bell pepper, and celery, as well as some green onion and garlic.

Spices – I use my own seasonings here for a Cajun seasoning blend, but you can replace with an equal amount of your favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning as well if you wish.

Herbs – While most Cajun seasonings use herbs in them, I like to add some fresh herbs here including sage, thyme, and parsley.

Stock – Use either a homemade turkey stock or chicken stock, or a store-bought stock/broth if you don’t have either of those. If using store-bought stock, look for no salt added or low sodium versions.

Eggs – Use two large eggs at room temperature for the dressing. These add moisture but also help with binding the ingredients and providing a soufflé like texture.

Prepare Bread Cubes

Start by making cornbread for the dressing. Follow your recipe or the instructions on the boxed mix. If you are doing the Jiffy mix, you will dump the box into a mixing bowl, add one egg and ⅓ cup of milk. Whisk together and pour into an 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 400°F / 200°C for 18-22 minutes and allow to cool completely when finished baking.

Once cooled completely, cut the cornbread into roughly ½-inch cubes. It will likely crumble as you make these, and that’s fine, just save the crumbles along with the cubes. Cut about half the loaf of potato bread into small ½-inch cubes as well. From here you can leave them partially covered and sit out overnight. I prefer to toast them instead, which will dry the bread out and help it hold its shape.

Preheat the oven again to 350°F / 180°C. Spread the cornbread cubes and crumbles over a baking sheet and the potato bread cubes over another baking sheet. Bake until toasted, for about 14-18 minutes. Halfway through, shake and toss the cubes and rotate the pans for more even toasting. Once toasted, set aside to cool.

Cook Meat & Vegetables

Cut the andouille sausage into coins, then stack a few at a time and cut twice more into quarters. Dice the onion, celery, red pepper (if using), and green pepper, chop the green onions (green parts only) if using, and mince the garlic. Finely chop the fresh sage, thyme, and parsley, but leave the parsley separate.

If the oven is off or you’re doing this the next day, preheat the oven again to 350°F / 180°C. Butter a 13x9 baking dish or spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a Dutch-oven or stock pot, heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add the breakfast sausage and cook it, breaking it up into small pieces, until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Now add the andouille sausage and continue cooking until both sausages are well browned and the breakfast sausage is in small pieces, about 10-12 minutes longer. Once browned, remove the sausage and set aside, leaving any drippings behind.

In the same pan, add the butter and melt it. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn translucent but not browned, for about 7-10 minutes.

Now add the garlic, green onion, and Cajun seasoning. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another 1-2 minutes.

Finally, add half the turkey or chicken stock and the fresh thyme and sage. Bring it to a simmer for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning then remove it from the heat to cool slightly and stir in the cooked sausages.

Combine & Bake Dressing

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together with the remaining stock and the parsley. Add the bread cubes to the sausage and veggie mixture, then pour the egg mixture over top of it.

Gently stir and fold everything until well combined and pour into the prepared 13x9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes to reduce the liquid and brown the top.

The total cooking time is usually around 50-60 minutes, depending on your preference. If you like wetter dressing, cook covered for longer. If you like it slightly drier and well-browned, increase the time spent uncovered. Whichever way you prefer it, it should be cooked to about 160-165°F before removing it from the oven and resting.

Once cooked to your preference, remove from the oven, and let it rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with some finely shredded parsley if you like.

Dutch-Oven – If you have a large, deep-dish skillet, you can probably use that, but space gets tight when you start adding everything into it. A Dutch-oven or an enameled braising dish makes this recipe a bit easier to handle without the cooking vessel feeling cramped.

Baking Dish – I find those oval 2-quart casserole dishes to be a bit on the small side for stuffing recipes. I love my Staub 13x9 enameled baking dish for recipes like this because it’s deep and holds more than other 13x9 pans.

❄️ Storing and Making Cajun Dressing Ahead of Time

Once cooked and cooled completely, this Cajun sausage dressing can be covered or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days. If you need to store it for longer, you can freeze it for 3-4 months, but I recommend using it within 1-2 months for the best flavor.

To reheat the stuffing, you can microwave a small portion or bake it in the oven. If you’re reheating more than a small portion, bake, covered, at 350°F for about 30 minutes until warmed throughout. When heating from frozen, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.

If you want to make this ahead of time for the holidays when oven space can be at a premium, you have a few options.

1-2 Days Ahead – Make the entire dish and allow it to cool to room temperature. Cover the baking dish completely and store it in the refrigerator. On the day you’re ready to serve it, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

3-4 Days Ahead – I would recommend this method only if you plan on having no leftovers. You make the components ahead of time and store them separately, then combine and bake on the day you’re serving. The bread can be dried and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days. The sausage can be cooked and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. The vegetable mixture can also be cooked and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to cook, add the rest of the chicken stock and eggs to the mixture and combine everything. The baking time may need to be increased by 10-15 minutes.

A Week+ Ahead – If you want to knock this dish out well in advance, you can. Like the first option, bake and cool completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil and freeze. The day before you want to heat it up, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.