Thanksgiving Filling with toasted cornbread, sausage, and sage is a great gluten-free side dish for Thanksgiving. Plus, you can promote it!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Simple swaps can breathe new life into old favorites, don’t you think? This filling recipe opts for cornbread!
Why use cornbread for filling?
Cornbread lends the filling a slight sweetness and a distinctive chewy texture, while flavors like browned sausage and fresh sage evoke familiar flavor notes. Cornbread filling is also an excellent option for those on a gluten-free diet.
This filling is closer to a classic Thanksgiving bread filling than a true Southern-style cornbread filling, but with flavors and ingredients everyone can enjoy.
How to Make Cornbread Filling – Gluten Free!
To make cornbread filling, you must first bake 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 the cornbread made with cornmeal (gluten free) was more crumbly and also gave a crumblier filling. Cornbread made with some all-purpose flour held its shape better in the filling and gave me larger chunks of cornbread with each bite.
Both cornbread recipes work well in this recipe, so choose the one that works best for you. In any case, you will end up with a delicious filling.
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 ahead of time and freeze it until needed; thaw before use.
The filling can also be made up to a day in advance and baked just before serving.
Here are more options for Thanksgiving filling!
- Mama’s turkey stuffing
- Sweet potato and pork filling
- wild rice dressing
- Cornbread filling with green olives and pecans
Sausage, sage and cornbread filling
The cornbread can be prepared several days in advance.
The prepared filling can also be prepared the day before and kept refrigerated.
ingredients
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1 Southern Cornbread recipe, prepared and chilled (follow the gluten-free option if needed)
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1 teaspoon canola oil (or other neutral, heat-resistant cooking oil)
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1 1/2 pounds sweet or mild Italian sausage (4 to 6 links), casings removed and broken into bite-sized pieces
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5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
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1 medium yellow onion, diced
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4 celery ribs, diced
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2 garlic cloves, chopped
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
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2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
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4 large eggs, lightly beaten
method
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Toast the cornbread cubes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes; You should have about 8 cups. Spread them out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast the cubes in the oven for 10 minutes, turn and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the cubes appear toasted and golden (about 20 minutes total). Allow the cubes to cool slightly, then place in a large mixing bowl.
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Turn the oven heat up to 375°F:
Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Put aside.
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Brown the Sausage:
Place a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and then the sausage. Use a spoon to break the sausage into smaller pieces as it cooks. Cook until sausage is nicely browned on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Place the sausage in a bowl and drain the pork fat.
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Cooking onions and celery:
Turn the heat down to medium and add 4 tablespoons of butter. Add onions, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook 7 minutes or until very tender and fragrant. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
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Combine the ingredients for the filling:
Pour the onion mixture over the toasted cornbread. Fold in the boiled sausage, herbs and broth. Taste and salt as needed. Finally, fold in the eggs and mix well. Some of the cornbread will crumble, which is okay.
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Spoon filling into a buttered casserole dish:
At this point the filling can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day.
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Bake the filling:
When done, bake the filling for 35 to 45 minutes until hot and golden brown. If the filling gets too brown on top during the baking time, cover loosely with foil. Serve hot.
