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!

Turnip Green Cornbread casserole in baking dish.
Mixed Greens and Cornbread go together like peas and carrots!

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

Skillet with browned sausage and onion.

Mix greens and their juice with the soup;fold in cornbread and mixed greens 

Ingredients being mixed together with wooden spoon.

Add seasonings; transfer to ungreased baking dish; Bake 30-40 minutes uncovered

Recipe 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.

Turnip green cornbread casserole in baking dish.

I make Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole at Easter, too. It pairs really well with ham and macaroni and cheese!

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 in baking dish.

Turnip Green Cornbread Casserole

A savory taste of the South! Tender greens and cornbread are always a nice surprise for your guests! Even those who claim to hate greens will love this dish!
5 from 13 votes
Print Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12
Author: Anecia Hero

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 pieces
    1 pan prepared cornbread
  • In a large skillet, cook the onion and sausage; drain if there's excess oil
    1 lb. ground sausage, 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
  • In a large bowl, combine greens with their juice and the condensed soup
    54 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!
Yield:
This recipe makes about 6 cups of casserole. Most folks get about 1/2 a cup, so you’ll get about 12 servings out of this.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 536mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1669IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
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5 from 13 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

    1. 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.

    1. 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!