Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole
This Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole is a sure-fire hit at Thanksgiving and Easter! Even naysayers of any type of “green” like this dish and it’s super easy to make!
It’s also a lower carb alternative or substitution for traditional cornbread dressing, with a hint of healthy greens to boot!
Just a few simple ingredients and you’ve got a healthy side dish in no time!
Years ago, I made this as an alternative to the traditional “Green Bean Casserole” for Thanksgiving and it was a great success!
Even those who won’t touch collard, mustard or turnip greens devoured this Thanksgiving side dish! It has a nice flavor and texture to it and it pairs beautifully with turkey or ham!
This is an old recipe that’s been around for years in the South and it makes sense, afterall, greens and cornbread go together naturally!
You’ll love this recipe!
This is an excellent addition or substitution for traditional dressing. The mixed turnip and collard greens provide additional nutrition, so it’s lower carb and a tad healthier than “normal” Southern dressing.
Delicious – the flavor profile is mild with a hint of tangy pepper sauce
It’s a perfect Thanksgiving or Easter side dish and pairs well with turkey and ham
Affordable-easy on the wallet! This casserole costs under $10
Great for groups – it goes a long way!
This recipe is similar to Southern Cornbread dressing, but not quite as dense. I use canned, seasoned mixed greens.
This makes 6 cups of casserole, so you’ll get about 12 1/2-cup servings out of the recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need
The ingredients are simple: a pound of ground sausage, canned mixed greens, a pan of stale cornbread, a sweet yellow onion, cream of celery condensed soup and a splash of Trappey’s Louisiana Peppers in vinegar.
I usually try to stay away from condensed soups, but make an exception for this casserole.
Note: you’ll want to use day-old cornbread. It holds up best in this southern green casserole and absorbs some of the liquid better than fresh.
Why use day-old cornbread
As in traditional Thanksgiving dressings, this recipe calls for day old cornbread. Why? When the cornbread dries out a bit, it absorbs the liquid from the mixed greens better.
It can be up to 2 days old; if you don’t use day old, the result is mushy.
How to make it
There are five easy steps for this mixed greens and cornbread casserole!
The prep time for this recipe is about 15 minutes. After you assemble the ingredients, the cook time is 30-40 minutes.
Prepare cornbread about two days in advance; crumble and let it sit out on the counter; Cook sausage and onions; drain off excess oil if there’s any
Mix greens and their juice with the soup;fold in cornbread and mixed greens
Add seasonings; transfer to ungreased baking dish; Bake 30-40 minutes uncovered
Expert tips
Do NOT drain the canned greens; I repeat…do NOT drain the greens
Use stale cornbread; make cornbread two days in advance, crumble it, and let it sit out; it absorbs the liquid from the greens and gives a nice flavor
Use a 9 x 13 baking dish or big aluminum pan
Do not overmix the turnip green and cornbread or it will get mushy
Bake uncovered in an ungreased pan
What kind of greens do I use?
This recipe calls for canned Seasoned Mixed Greens with their liquid. I like either Margaret Holmes or Glory brand Southern Mixed Greens.
Can I use fresh greens?
If you use fresh greens, you’ll want to cook a lot of them (maybe 4 bunches) and season them well. Be sure to reserve a bit of the cooking liquid for this recipe.
Make ahead, storage and freezing
Make this turnip green casserole in advance and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Freeze in a freezer container for up to 1 month. Let it thaw, then reheat covered in the oven or in the microwave.
Remove uncooked casserole from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake at 350ºF uncovered, until liquid is absorbed.
If it’s already cooked, reheat until it’s warm throughout.
What can I substitute for the condensed soup?
If you do not want to use a condensed soup in the mixed green casserole, make a roux: (how to make a roux) with 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup flour, one and a half-cup of milk.
Once the roux has thickened, season lightly with salt and pepper, add chicken bouillon, and combine into green/cornbread mixture.
I make Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole at Easter, too. It pairs really well with ham and macaroni and cheese!
Related recipes
- Skillet Cornbread
- Southern Pecan Pie
- Spiced Cranberry Sauce
- Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Condensed Soup Alternative
- Chicken Fried Steak and Cream Gravy
- How to Season and Cook Purple Hull or Black Eyed Peas
- How to Season and Cook Southern Greens
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment below! I love to hear from you!
Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 54 ounces Mixed greens do NOT drain; (I use Glory brand seasoned mixed greens (canned)
- 15 ounces condensed soup I use chicken; you can use cream of mushroom or celery
- 1 pan prepared cornbread day-old and crumbled
- 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
- 1 lb. ground sausage cooked and drained
- 1 tablespoon pepper sauce Trappey's Louisiana peppers in vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Prepare a pan of cornbread (best if the cornbread is made a day or two ahead); crumble into small pieces1 pan prepared cornbread
- In a large skillet, cook the onion and sausage; drain if there's excess oil1 lb. ground sausage, 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
- In a large bowl, combine greens with their juice and the condensed soup54 ounces Mixed greens, 15 ounces condensed soup
- Fold in cooked sausage and onions, crumbled cornbread; season with Trappey's pepper sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle in red pepper flakes (optional)1 pan prepared cornbread, 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion, 1 lb. ground sausage, 1 tablespoon pepper sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Transfer to ungreased baking dish and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed
Notes
- Do not drain the mixed greens!!!
- Make sure your cornbread is crumbled and at least two days old
- This dish tastes great with crumbled sausage added in, however, I would not recommend adding the sausage if you're serving another salty protein, like ham...
- If you don't have time to prepare homemade cornbread, use a mix. One package of cornbread mix works!
Nutrition Estimate
What kind of sausage? Breakfast sausage? Diced ham would be good.
The recipe calls for a pound of ground sausage. I usually use Jimmy Dean’s or the store brand that comes in a tube. This is also called “breakfast sausage” by some folks.
Could you add a can of black eyed peas to this?
Hey Cindy!
That sounds good! I haven’t actually tried adding black eyed peas to it so I don’t really know how the peas would change the texture of the dish…I suppose if you drained them first, that might work…if you try it, let me know!
This was delicious and enjoyed by all!
Thank you, Amy! Glad you enjoyed it!