Southern Cornbread Dressing is deliciously moist and wonderfully seasoned with sage, onions, and celery. It’s a classic that makes it to the Thanksgiving table year after year.
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and it’s time to start planning that Thanksgiving menu. This year I want the food to be extra good and special since this is the first year my son has been away at college. I miss him dearly and I know he misses my home cooking. (Note: This post was originally published November 10, 2015. But my son is still coming home for Thanksgiving 😊)
You cook for your boys mamas, and they’ll always want to come home to see you. 🙂
The Thanksgiving side dish that my kids look forward to the most is the dressing.
What Is Dressing?
Dressing is what southerners call stuffing. Typically dressing is made with cornbread. Variations on cornbread dressing are many and varied. Depending on the region of the south, ingredients like pecans, sausage, crawfish, or oysters can be added.
Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe
Probably the most looked forward to part of Thanksgiving dinner, besides dessert, is the dressing and it’s not uncommon for us to have more than one kind. I personally really love this Andouille Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing.
This Southern Cornbread Dressing is a more traditional southern dressing made with crumbled cornbread along with lots of onion, celery, and sage. It’s savory, moist, and delicious.
How Far In Advance To Make The Cornbread
You should make the cornbread a day or two in advance. You want the conrbread to be somewhat dry and stale. This will allow it to absorb more liquid and flavor.
Recipe Tip
Since we typically fry our Thanksgiving turkey, I solely use canned broth to make dressing, but if you have turkey drippings, you could add them to the dressing and it will taste even better.
Along with cornbread dressing we love to have Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, mashed potatoes, and Broccoli Casserole for Thanksgiving dinner. And this year I think I’ll add Savory Sweet Potato Casserole to the list. You can never have too many casseroles! I also always make these Yeast Rolls and Southern Sweet Potato Pie.
Equipment Needed
- Cast Iron Pan– You will need a 9 to 10-inch cast iron pan for baking the cornbread. A 9-inch cake pan or baking dish can be used instead.
- Baking Dish– a 9×13-inch baking dish is a good size.
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Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make Southern Cornbread Dressing.
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
- 9 to 10-inch cast iron pan
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal, I use Martha White
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour, I use White Lily
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Dressing
- 8 tablespoons butter, (1 stick)
- 3 medium onion, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 pieces toast, crumbled
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for cornbread. Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch cast iron pan or a 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Before using, crumble into small pieces.
- Heat butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add celery and onion and cook until soft.
- Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to onion mixture.
- In a large bowl combine crumbled cornbread and toast.
- Whisk together milk and eggs and add to bowl. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth.
- Stir in onion mixture. Mixture should be very moist. Add more broth if necessary.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cut butter into small slivers and scatter on top of dressing.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until it turns light brown on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I really don’t think you need a 10 inch skillet for this little bit of cornbread. Maybe an 8 inch would be better. Also, if you don’t have time to make it a few days before, you can always break it up and toast it in the oven for a few minutes.
I’m using jiffy boxed cornbread. How many box’s should I use for this recipe?
You must be a Yankee if your using jiffy cornbread ain’t supposed to be sweet and you need hot bacon grease in your preheated cast iron skillet I make my dressing like my mama and ever one in this town knows I make dad gum great dressing this recipe is not going to be great like mine
Why you gotta hate? I don’t see you posting your recipe AND if it’s so good why are you looking up dressing recipes anyways?
You can get by with one box of Jiffy and you will be fine.
I use two in a 13×9 pan
i use 2 for this one. the only thing i change is more sage. we are a sage loving family
You DO NOT want to use Jiffy because your dressing will come out slightly sweet and this is not a good thing! Take it from someone who made this mistake the first time making this recipe, which is very similar to my mom’s. My family was very gracious and didn’t spit it out but I knew they were disappointed and so was I. I since always make the cornbread recipe in this one or one similar WITHOUT any sweetner.
Love it ! Delicious!
Reminds me that f my grandmother recipe thanks
I am using cornbread previously made and crumbled. Any idea how much to use ? Thanks !
After its baked how do you know it’s done since its moist?
Good question. Taste it! Cut out a small piece and if it tastes or feels undone, continue to bake for longer.
Couple of things that I do differently is use fresh sage and chiffonade the sage so that it flavors the whole mix. I also use buttermilk rather than whole milk to give it that good buttermilk “twang”. I have also started. Making the dressing in muffin tins since it cooks quicker and does not dry out as much. Your recipes is very close to my grandmothers recipe, but I do like your variations and I have been cooking her recipe for 30+ years.
Awesome Southern recipe. Almost exactly like my 98 yr old grandma’s. We don’t put poultry seasoning or sage. And that guy Jim must be a damn Yankee! Let him eat shit! Our tradition dressing is the bomb! I grew up in the great state of Texas but now live in Louisiana and Florida. Everyone raves about my dressing and it’s now being made all over the USA. Many neighbors in Naples are from the North and love it! I am making it right now to cook tomorrow. Keep those Southern recipes coming! Happy Thanksgiving 🍽️
If I make this a day ahead should I go ahead and bake it that day and reheat on Thanksgiving or just put in fridge and cook it the day of?
Cooking and reheating may dry this out. I would suggest making it a day ahead and baking it Thanksgiving morning.
I always assemble the day before, refrigerate, and bake on thanksgiving day. I find the flavors really develop that way.
Good question, I was wondering the same thing.
I love this recipe
Check periodically during baking and add more broth as needed.