"One of the greatest pleasures of my life has been that I have never stopped learning about good cooking and good food."
- Edna Lewis
Do your kids like to help in the kitchen around the holidays? We've got a cornbread stuffing recipe that's simple enough for kids to make during a busy holiday season without sacrificing flavor. In fact, this is the most flavorful stuffing we've ever had.
This cornbread stuffing recipe might just be our best-kept secret...well, until now. So ditch that dusty old stuffing recipe and give this one a try.
If you like this stuffing, you'll want the marmalade to go with it.
Learn more about cooking with kids.
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In Pursuit of Flavor
This cornbread stuffing recipe is from In Pursuit of Flavor by Edna Lewis as well as Matt Horn's southern-style stuffing.
We took the simple elegance of Miss Lewis's stuffing and added the cornbread element from Matt's recipe to achieve this delicious homemade cornbread stuffing that couldn't have disappeared faster from everyone's holiday plate.
I learned about cooking and flavor as a child, watching my mother prepare food in our kitchen in Virginia. She took great care with the food she fed her large family and our assorted guests and I suppose I just naturally followed her example. In those days, we lived by the seasons, and I quickly discovered that food tastes best when it is naturally ripe and ready to eat.
I grew up in Freetown, a small farming community in Orange County, Virginia, which was founded by my grandfather and his friends shortly after his emancipation from slavery. Living in a rural area gave my mother the chance to cook food soon after it was picked.
- Edna Lewis
Edna Lewis is a culinary icon, an American chef and author of several books, including In Pursuit of Flavor and The Taste of Country Cooking.
Kids can learn more about Edna Lewis with Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis.
Learn more about Matt Horn.
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related recipe!
Roast Turkey
Simple and flavorful, from Edna Lewis and In Pursuit of Flavor.
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Homemade is best but any cornbread will do the job. Just make sure you're using day-old cornbread for the best cornbread stuffing.
Top Tip
The key to making the best cornbread stuffing is a flavorful cornbread. We used homemade cornbread with native fine blue cornmeal, red fife wheat flour, and a touch of eggnog. Talk about flavor!
How to Make the Best Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- white bread - use your favorite day-old white bread
- cornbread - day-old cornbread works best
- onions
- celery
- salt
- black pepper - we like this Aranya black pepper ground using a molcajete
- thyme
- sage
- rosemary
- sausage (optional)
- poultry seasoning - Miss Lewis recommends Bell's seasoning but any poultry seasoning will work
- butter
Equipment
- apron
- prep bowls
- child-friendly knife
- butcher block
- chef knife
- bread knife
- kitchen scale
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- blue carbon steel pan
- small saucepan
- oval gratin dish
- learning tower (as needed)
Slice the Bread
Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a bread knife to cut the day-old white bread and cornbread into ยผ-inch cubes. You'll want approximately 12 cups of bread cubes for this recipe. Place them in a large bowl and set aside.
Chop the Vegetables
Using a chef knife or child-friendly knife, chop the onions, celery, and celery leaves. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
Chop the Herbs
Use the same knife to chop the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.
Cook the Sausage
Turn the stove on medium heat. Place the sausage in the pan. Wash your hands. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks. Turn off the stove when cooked evenly throughout. Drain any excess fat.
Melt the Butter
Place the butter in a small saucepan. Turn the burner on medium-low. Turn off the stove when the butter is melted.
Transfer the Dry Ingredients to a Large Bowl
While the butter is melting, you can go ahead and add the remaining ingredients to the large bowl.
Mix Everything Together
Use a measuring spoon to measure out the poultry seasoning. Mix everything with a spoon.
Add the Melted Butter
Pour the melted butter over the top of the stuffing mixture and use a spoon or your hands to mix it.
Stuff the Turkey
If you're making stuffing for a turkey dinner, you can stuff that bird now. Follow the guidelines for cooking a stuffed turkey.
If you're not stuffing a turkey or have leftover stuffing, proceed to the next step.
Steam the Leftover Stuffing
Transfer the stuffing to a steamer or an Instant Pot with a steamer insert. Add 4 cups of liquid (either pan drippings plus water OR you could also use chicken stock) to the steamer. Steam the stuffing for 35 minutes.
For the best results, Miss Lewis recommends the steamer method over baking the remaining stuffing in the oven alongside the turkey.
free recipe!
Cornbread Stuffing
From In Pursuit of Flavor with a Matt Horn twist.
Free Cornbread Stuffing Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up
Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.
The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for North America.
Montessori Continent Boxes
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The Best Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- Learning Tower as needed
Ingredients
- 1 loaf white bread
- 1 loaf cornbread
- 3 cups onions chopped
- 1 ยฝ cups celery chopped
- 3 tablespoon celery leaves chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 2 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
- 1 tablespoon sage leaves dried and crumbled
- 2 teaspoon rosemary dried
- ยฝ lb ground sausage
- 2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 ยฝ cups butter melted
Instructions
- Slice the Bread: Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a bread knife to cut the day-old white bread and cornbread into ยผ-inch cubes. You'll want approximately 12 cups of bread cubes for this recipe. Place them in a large bowl and set aside.
- Chop the Vegetables: Using a chef knife or child-friendly knife, chop the onion, celery, and celery leaves. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
- Chop the Herbs: Use the same knife to chop the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Sausage: Turn the stove on medium heat. Place the sausage in the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks. Turn off the stove when cooked evenly throughout. Drain any excess fat.
- Melt the Butter: Place the butter in a small saucepan. Turn the burner on medium-low. Turn off the stove when the butter is melted.
- While the butter is melting, you can go ahead and add the remaining ingredients to the large bowl.
- Use a measuring spoon to measure out the poultry seasoning. Mix everything with a spoon.
- Pour the melted butter over the top of the stuffing mixture and use a spoon or your hands to mix it.
- If you're making stuffing for a turkey dinner, you can stuff that bird now. Follow the guidelines for cooking aย stuffed turkey. If you're not stuffing a turkey or have leftover stuffing, proceed to the next step.
- Steam the Leftover Stuffing: Transfer the stuffing to a steamer or an Instant Pot with a steamer insert. Add 4 cups of liquid (either pan drippings plus water OR you could also use chicken stock) to the steamer. Steam the stuffing for 35 minutes. For the best results, Miss Lewis recommends the steamer method over baking the remaining stuffing in the oven alongside the turkey.
Notes
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always haveย good ventilation when using a gas stove
- Seeย more guidelines at USDA.gov
- Full Lesson Info and Pictures at:ย https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/cornbread-stuffing
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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