Thanksgiving stuffing with toasted cornbread, sausage, and sage is a great gluten-free side dish for Thanksgiving. Plus, you can make it ahead!

Photography Credit: Elizabeth Stark

Simple swaps can give old favorites new life, don’t you think? This stuffing recipe opts for cornbread!

In this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe, I swapped traditional cubes of rustic white bread for toasted cornbread to make a stuffing that feels fresh without straying too far from the familiar (and beloved).

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WHY USE CORNBREAD IN STUFFING?

Cornbread lends a faint sweetness to the stuffing and a distinctive toothsome texture, while flavors like browned sausage and fresh sage strike familiar flavor notes. Cornbread stuffing is also an excellent option for those who need to eat gluten-free.

This stuffing ends up closer to a classic Thanksgiving bread stuffing than a true Southern-style cornbread stuffing, but with flavors and ingredients that everyone can enjoy.

How to Make Cornbread Stuffing—Gluten Free!

To make cornbread stuffing, you’ll first need to make cornbread. I used Elise’s classic Southern cornbread recipe from here on Simply Recipes.

Her cornbread recipe has a gluten-free version and a version that uses some flour. I found that the all-cornmeal (gluten-free) cornbread was more crumbly and, likewise, made a more crumbly stuffing. Cornbread made with some all-purpose flour held its shape better in the stuffing, giving me larger pieces of cornbread in each bite.

Both cornbread recipes work fine in this recipe, so pick the one that works best for you. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious stuffing.

Make-Ahead Suggestions

You can make the cornbread for this recipe up to three days ahead, wrap it in plastic, and store it on the counter. You can also make it well in advance and freeze it until needed; thaw before using.

The stuffing can also be assembled up to a day in advance and then baked just before serving.

HERE ARE MORE OPTIONS FOR THANKSGIVING STUFFING!