Can I Use Biscuits to Make Stuffing Instead of Cornbread?

by Julie Christensen

New Englanders call it stuffing. Southerners know it as dressing. Whatever you call it, this traditional holiday dish takes its cues from regional flavors and produce. If you live near the coast, you probably add oysters to your stuffing. Midwesterners add corn and bacon, while those in the Pacific Northwest have been known to throw in a few blackberries. You can use all sorts of bread, including biscuits, to make stuffing, depending on your taste preferences and what's available in the pantry.


Cornbread and biscuits feature similar ingredients -- flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk and butter -- and are interchangeable in stuffing recipes. The only substantial difference between the two is the addition of cornmeal in cornbread. Both are quick breads, although cornbread typically has a slightly softer, chewier texture, while biscuits may have a golden-brown crust.


To substitute biscuits for cornmeal in stuffing, cube or crush the biscuits. Use the same amount of biscuit cubes that you would cornmeal cubes. For example, a standard recipe might call for about 4 cups of cornmeal cubes combined with onions, celery, sage and chicken broth. In this case, use 4 cups of biscuit cubes instead.


Although cornbread and biscuits are interchangeable in stuffing recipes, you will probably detect slight differences in the finished product. Cornmeal stuffing has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor, while stuffing made from biscuits lacks that sweet flavor. A stuffing made from biscuits might have a slightly denser texture, as well. If you don't have cornbread, substitute dried wheat or white bread cubes, as well as biscuits. Stuffing recipes are as individual as the people who make them. Add browned sausage, chopped pecans, dried fruit or even beaten egg, depending on your preferences.


To prepare stuffing made from biscuits, allow the biscuit cubes to dry out for a few days or toast them in the oven. Saute onion, celery and other aromatics together, then mix them with the biscuit cubes and broth. At this point, you can stuff a turkey or chicken with the stuffing or place it in a baking dish. Bake the turkey or chicken until it is done and a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. Making stuffing in a baking dish is safer because you don't have to worry about bacteria from the poultry being transferred to the stuffing. Simply bake it until it is slightly brown and hot throughout.

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