Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
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Southern Cornbread Dressing makes a comforting, classic dish for the holidays! This cornbread dressing recipe is moist, delicious, and so easy! An heirloom family favorite recipe that makes the perfect side dish!
Cornbread dressing could easily take center stage at my family’s table during the holidays, especially at Thanksgiving. On that special day, the cornbread dressing really rivals the turkey for attention.
There’s just one rule.
Don’t mess with the recipe. I think I’d no longer be allowed to make it for my family if I “messed” with this traditional family cornbread dressing recipe.
But you know, every family makes their recipes a little bit differently, and that’s what makes family recipes so special, I think! The special touches to suit your family’s taste preferences help you know that those recipes were made with tons of love and care for each person who would gather at the table to enjoy them.
This recipe makes enough for two 9×13 dishes. You can easily half the recipe to make just one or use the freezer-friendly instructions to prepare one to bake now and one to freeze and bake later.
For our cornbread dressing, we use my Grandmother Verdie’s recipe that she got from her own mother. It is a definite heirloom family recipe that my family treasures! It is so incredibly moist and tender and so delicious! Once you taste it, you’ll understand why it is a must-have family favorite recipe.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
To make it, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Cornbread – It starts with a skillet of southern buttermilk cornbread. While it only takes 30 minutes to make, you can also easily make it ahead if you’d like. You can prepare it up to two days ahead and keep it covered tightly on the kitchen counter until ready to make your dressing.
- Biscuits or Bread – Likewise, we use leftover biscuits from the day before, but you can also use sliced white bread.
- Seasonings – Salt and pepper add so much flavor to this dressing. If you like the flavor of sage in your dressing, include it as well.
- Eggs – You’ll need three large eggs for the full recipe. If you are making a half recipe, use two eggs.
- Onion – You’ll need one medium-diced onion. The onion adds so much flavor to the recipe. If you do not care for onions, you can omit them or do as I do and have one pan with onions and one without.
- Celery – Two diced stalks of celery are perfect in this recipe.
- Butter – The butter not only adds flavor, but it adds moisture to this cornbread dressing as well. You will slice the butter so that it mixes more easily into the dressing.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – I prefer to use my homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe, but you can absolutely use store-bought if you like.
- Chicken Stock or Broth – You will need a good bit of chicken stock or broth. It adds so much moisture to the dressing! If you do not have enough in your dressing, it will make for a dry dressing. Here, again, you can use homemade or store-bought chicken stock or broth, whichever you prefer.
How to Make Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
- Crumble. Crumble your cornbread and biscuits or bread into small pieces in a large bowl. You’ll want to use the largest bowl you have so that you can really mix this up well. A large stockpot also works well if you do not have a large enough mixing bowl. As a child, this was the part Grandmother let me help her with in making the dressing. It is one of my fondest memories in the kitchen.
- Mix. Now add in the salt, pepper, sage (optional), onion, butter, cream of chicken soup, and chicken stock or broth. Mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into two 9×13 baking dishes and bake until the cornbread dressing is browned and is set, about 30 – 45 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Southern Chicken and Dressing Recipe – Mix about 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken into the dressing mixture and bake as directed for a delicious cornbread dressing with chicken recipe.
Southern Turkey and Dressing Recipe – Stir about 2 cups of cooked, shredded turkey into the dressing mixture and bake as directed.
Gluten-Free Cornbread Dressing – Use gluten-free certified ingredients in the cornbread and gluten-free bread.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers: Wrap 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Make ahead cornbread dressing: Prepare the dressing without baking and store it in the refrigerator two days ahead or the freezer up to 3 months in advance. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator two days before you are ready to serve to ensure that it is fully thawed. Bake as directed.
To freeze unbaked cornbread dressing: Wrap 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator. Then, bake the dressing as directed.
To freeze baked cornbread dressing: Allow it to cool completely, then cover the 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and foil (or store in an airtight, freezer-safe container) and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat.
Expert Tip!
Oven space is at a premium on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas! Here are a few tips that may help with your cornbread dressing:
- Bake your dressing early in the morning. When done, wrap it well and store it in the refrigerator as your turkey roasts.
- While the turkey rests from roasting, place your dressing back into the oven to reheat thoroughly.
More Favorite Holiday Side Dishes
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornbread dressing is cooked in a baking dish, while stuffing is traditionally “stuffed” or cooked inside the cavity of the turkey.
Making sure your cornbread dressing is done is essential. To test doneness, shake the casserole dish lightly. If the center of the dressing moves, then the dressing is not cooked through in the center. Continue baking in 5-minute intervals until the cornbread is cooked through.
Yes! Adding cooked chicken or turkey to your dressing is another family-favorite recipe! See how to make Chicken and Dressing or Turkey and Dressing in my Recipe Variations above.
Here’s the recipe for my family’s Southern Cornbread Dressing. I sure hope you love it as much as we do. We always like to finish it off with a drizzle of giblet gravy or turkey gravy!
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 full recipe Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
- 3 buttermilk biscuits, or 3 slices of sandwich bread or other soft leftover bread
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage, optional
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup butter, sliced
- 4 cups cream of chicken soup
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Mix. Crumble all of the cornbread and biscuits (or white bread slices) into a very large bowl. Add salt, pepper, eggs, onion, celery, butter, cream of chicken soup, and chicken stock. Stir until well-combined.
- Bake. Pour dressing into two 9×13 baking dishes and bake until lightly browned, about 30 – 45 minutes. To test doneness, shake casserole dish lightly. If the center of the dressing moves, then the dressing is not cooked through in the center. Continue to bake until the dressing is set throughout.
Notes
- Southern Chicken and Dressing Recipe – Mix about 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken into the dressing mixture and bake as directed for a delicious chicken dressing recipe.
- Southern Turkey and Dressing Recipe – Stir about 2 cups cooked, shredded turkey into the dressing mixture and bake as directed.
- Gluten-Free Cornbread Dressing – Use gluten-free certified ingredients in the cornbread and gluten-free bread.
- To store leftovers. Wrap 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To make ahead cornbread dressing: Prepare the dressing without baking and store it in the refrigerator two days ahead or the freezer up to 3 months in advance. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator two days before you are ready to serve to ensure that it is fully thawed. Bake as directed.
- To freeze unbaked cornbread dressing: Wrap 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator. Then, bake the dressing as directed.
- To freeze baked cornbread dressing: Allow it to cool completely, then cover the 9×13 pan(s) with plastic wrap and foil (or store in an airtight, freezer-safe container) and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published November 2017. Updated with step-by-step photographs and additional recipe storage information.
Hello! I used this recipe and it was absolutely amazing! It’s been years since I have had good dressing! It was a hit! My entire family loved it! Thank you!
I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it, Kunica! It’s been one of our family traditions for so many years! Thanks so much! xo
How much cornbread do you use ? Is it one regular size iron skillet
I tried this recipe and each time it was entirely to soupy!???????? I think 4 to 5 cups of stock next time! But the potential is awesome!
I’m sorry yours was too soupy, De. I’ve never had that problem using this recipe and we’ve been making it for generations. I hope it turns out for you next time. Thanks!
Mine was soupy also
I’m sorry it was soupy, Pat. It sounds like it wasn’t completely done.
As in my recipe, after baking it for 30-45 minutes, to test doneness, shake casserole dish lightly. If the center of the dressing moves, then the dressing is not cooked through in the center. Continue to bake until the dressing is set throughout. I hope this helps. Thanks!
The celery and onions are added raw will they soften mainly the celery enough during the baking process so they are not crunchy?
Hi Loyce,
They do soften as they bake in the recipe, but if you would like them softer, you may consider sautéing them in about a tablespoon of butter until softened. This would take about 3 to 5 minutes. I hope you enjoy it!
Much like my dressing but I boil a chicken breast or two and shred them into the dressing.making sure the water the chicken was boiled in is ample for enough liquid for mixing the dressing. It contains wonderful chicken flavor and also fat from the chicken. I really like onions so we enjoy them only half cooked in the final dish;
Is the dressing suppose to be soupy after adding the chicken stock?
Hi Laken,
It shouldn’t be soupy, but is thin. It will bake into a very moist dressing.
I was searching for a dressing recipe that was similar to my mother who is deceased; this one is hands down the best! Thanks for the pictures and simple instructions! God Bless!
Hi Vee,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xo
Do you bake this dressing covered with foil or not covered? Thank you. It sounds just like my Granny’s old recipe and none of us could figure it out! So, I hope I can fix your’s just right!.
‘s
Hi Sandy,
I bake it uncovered and it turns out well. I hope you enjoy it! xo
Can I use bread crumbs that comes in a box? And if I can how much
Hi Debra,
I’ve never used bread crumbs from a box in this dressing, so I can’t say how it would turn out or how much to use. For the white bread in the recipe, I use loaf bread like I describe. This is in addition to the cornbread. Thanks!
How long do you bake it in one pan.
I always split it into two pans per the recipe instructions, Delois for best results. That way the top and the middle get done as they should without it being too thick in one pan. Thanks!
When you say a full recipe of Southern buttermilk cornbread, how much is that? I will be making for five people. My grandmother and mother never used cream of chicken soup, would butter be a good substitute for the chicken soup? I will be making my own stock. Thank you. Karen
I’ve never used butter instead of the cream of chicken soup, Karen and I really don’t think it would turn out as it should per my recipe if the soup if removed and only replaced with butter. There is a link to the Southern Cornbread recipe within the dressing recipe and you will use that. Thanks!