Food and Recipes Side Dishes Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel Recipe Be the first to rate & review! Use your favorite store-bought cornbread to make this crispy, golden dressing. By Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 11, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Yield: Serves 8 to 10 (serving size: 1 cup) Ingredients 6 cups cubed day-old cornbread (about 15 oz.) 1 pound fresh mild Italian sausage, casings removed 1 fennel bulb, chopped 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion) 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks) 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup Directions Spread cubed cornbread on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Place in oven, and preheat to 400°F. Bake until cornbread is golden brown, about 15 minutes after oven preheats. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer sausage to a large bowl, reserving drippings in skillet. Add fennel, 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper to skillet. Reduce heat to mediumhigh; cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender and slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add fennel to bowl with sausage. Add onion, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add to bowl with fennel and sausage. Add apple, thyme, and 1 tablespoon of the butter to skillet; cook, stirring often, until apples are slightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add apple mixture and toasted cornbread to sausage mixture in bowl. Whisk together chicken broth, eggs, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over cornbread mixture in bowl, and toss gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Spread cornbread mixture in prepared dish. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove foil; dot dressing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Return to oven; bake until golden brown, 25 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup before serving. Rate it Print