- November 17, 2019
- Gluten Free
Keto Cornbread Stuffing with Herb Butter
A classic side dish for any holiday table, this keto cornbread dressing recipe is the perfect way to keep things low carb and gluten free this holiday season!
This recipe was one of the most requested by my friends and followers on Instagram last fall. I loved it so much then and I love it just as much now! In fact, it’s so great I even included it in my FREE Keto Comfort Food & Holiday Classics E-Book (over 65 holiday recipes you need to get your hands on)!
I just wanted to give this recipe a few updates with some new photos (because the old ones didn’t do this recipe justice) and a fun and easy video you can watch and follow along with as well.
For me personally, I’ve always been a “Side Chick” … ya know… the kind of girl who goes in for seconds and thirds of all the yummy side dishes during the holidays. Especially the stuffing!
In fact, I think I like this recipe better than any other stuffing I’ve ever had! This recipe was inspired by my favorite Easy Keto Cornbread Style Muffins recipe, and from that I was able to create this Thanksgiving classic side that’s loaded with seasoned pork, savory veggies, and fresh bright herbs.
This keto friendly stuffing is split into two parts, the cornbread and the actual stuffing recipe. It’s perfect if you plan to make this ahead of time and can be baked or even reheated the day of. Find all the tips and tricks to making this fall favorite below along with the full recipe too!
“School” Supplies:
- Knife & Cutting Board
- 8X8 pan
- 9X13 Pan/ 9×9 Baking Dish / 9″ Cast Iron Skillet
- Sauté Pan
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Measuring Cups
- Large Bowl
“Class” Notes:
The Keto Corn Bread-
As far as keto bread creations go, my cornbread recreation is definitely one of my favorites (though this Easy Keto Focaccia Bread is as equally delicious). Like I mentioned above, part one of the recipe, consists of making the keto friendly cornbread base.
I slightly modified my Keto Cornbread muffins recipe (I added garlic powder, rosemary, and sage to add flavor), but instead of making muffins, I kept it simple and baked the entire batter in a greased 8X8 inch pan.
Bake the almond flour cornbread base at 350 F for about 30 minutes and allow it to fully cool. Once cool, I cut the cornbread into 1″ squares and dumped them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and baked at 250 F for 20-30 minutes more or until the squares felt dry (kind of like a crouton but slightly more tender). All of this can be done ahead of time, in fact if it’s slightly stale it works even better!
I use a similar technique to make my Low Carb Stuffed French toast recipe, but add a little extra baking powder, some low carb sweetener (to make a sweet cornbread instead), and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg too. Bake the same way and it makes the perfect sweet and delicious breakfast! So easy too!
How To Make A Keto Friendly Stuffing-
For the actual stuffing, I purchased ground pork. You could use any sausage you would like but I like to add my own seasonings and control what goes in the recipe (i.e no added sugar). To the pork, I added fennel, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper.
Cook the pork, onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic until cooked and tender. In one large mixing bowl, mix the toasted cornbread cubes, the pork and veggie filling, eggs, cream, and stock together with a spatula.
To punch up the flavors, I added some more fresh sage and rosemary as well. I also like to mix every five minutes or so to help the cubes soak up some of the liquid. Pour the whole mixture into one large baking dish or cast iron skillet. If there is still a little liquid in the mixture, don’t worry! It will bake off and absorb during the cooking process. Bake the stuffing for about 30 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown.
Pro Tip: If you want to make this ahead of time, I suggest prepping the corn bread, and prepping the pork mixture and not assembling them until you are ready to bake (this will prevent the cornbread from getting too soggy). Assemble right before baking and you’re good to go!
The Melted Herb Butter-
The final component that makes this stuffing so incredible, is the melted herb butter. In a small pot or microwaveable dish, melt butter and add fresh herbs and garlic (if desired).
Spoon the herb butter over the entire top of the cooked Keto Cornbread Stuffing. YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS! Trust me when I say both you and you’re non-keto eaters will absolutely love how delicious and flavorful this dish is.
Need other low carb, keto sides and main dishes to pair this stuffing recipe with as well? Check out these classic recipes to make the most incredible meal that your friends and family will love and not even miss the carbs!
Smoked Champagne Brined Turkey
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto & Pecans
Thanks so much for following along. Make sure to check out my video tutorial for this recipe as well and leave a comment and rating below if you gave it a try! Don’t forget to also save this recipe for later over on Pinterest too! Happy Holidays!
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Keto Cornbread Stuffing with Herb Butter
Ingredients
- Keto Cornbread:
- 3 cups Almond Flour
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese mozzarella or cheddar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sage
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Stuffing Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Ground Pork
- 1/2 Onion diced small
- 1 cup Bella Mushrooms diced small
- 2 Celery Stalks diced small
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 cup Stock Beef, Chicken, Turkey, etc.
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Eggs
- Fresh Sage
- Fresh Rosemary
- 4 tbsp. Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray an 8X8" pan with non-stick spray. Combine all the cornbread ingredients together in a bowl and pour into the 8X8" pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked and lightly browned. Let it cool completely before cutting into 1" squares.
- To prep the cornbread for the stuffing, cut the cornbread into 1" cubes and place on a baking sheet. Bake the cubes spread out on a pan at 200 F for 45-60 minutes. You want the cubes to be dried out but not hard. Allow them to cool before adding them in the stuffing.
- In a frying pan, add the ground pork. Season with salt and pepper and your favorite seasonings (I added garlic, fennel, and red pepper flakes). Add the celery, onions, and mushrooms and cook till tender and the pork is browned.
- In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the cornbread cubes, the pork filling, the stock, heavy cream, and the eggs. Mix using your hands to thoroughly coat the cornbread. If you need more liquid, add a small amount of stock. Do not make
this too wet, as it will not absorb the same as regular gluten based breads. Additionally, If you prefer your cornbread stuffing to be finer, break up the cubes a bit more and use your fingers to crumble a bit if desired. Mix in some fresh sage and rosemary. - Once everything is mixed and coated, pour the mixture into a 9X13" pan (spray with non-stick spray first). Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. If the mixture is cold (made ahead of time), remove the mixture from the fridge to bring up to room
temperature or add additional baking time if necessary. The finished product should be lightly browned and slightly crispy on top and tender/softer on the inside. - Finish the stuffing off by melting butter in a small pot or in a microwaveable safe dish. Mix in some more fresh herbs I used more sage and rosemary) and drizzle the mixture across the top! Serve warm!
This is going to be a huge hit at Thanksgiving next week, thank you!!
Such a great low-carb option! We loved it!
We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, and I made this recipe and I also made regular stuffing. My carb eating son-in-law liked this version better! The only change I made to the recipe (sometimes I can’t help myself!) was to simmer the giblets and turkey neck until tender, and then add finely chopped giblets and meat from the turkey neck to the stuffing, because it’s my family’s tradition.
Hi Pamela,
I love hearing how well this stuffing recipe went over and that you were able to make it your own and still keep family traditions alive. Happy Thanksgiving!
-L
Absolutely delicious! I made this for my boyfriend’s family’s Thanksgiving. They all know I’ve been keto for around 2 years so I bring a few of my own favorite side dishes to the holidays. Everyone raved about this one, asking where I bought the keto bread. They were amazed when I told them I made it all from scratch and that it’s super easy to put together! Today, I just remade the keto rosemary & sage-styled cornbread for the heck of it. I prefer to cook it in my seasoned cast iron and top with Kerrygold butter in the end. Yum! Thank you!
Lisa, I so appreciate you sharing and so glad it was such a hit at your holiday table! Happy holidays to you and your family. -L