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Southern Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Southern Cornbread Dressing

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.

You cook for your boys mamas, and they’ll always want to come home to see you.  ðŸ™‚

Southern Cornbread Dressing- a must for Thanksgiving

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.

Southern Cornbread Dressing

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!

Equipment Needed

  1. 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.
  2. Baking Dish– a 9×13-inch baking dish is a good size.
Southern Cornbread Dressing

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Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make Southern Cornbread Dressing.


Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern Cornbread Dressing

A traditional southern cornbread dressing flavored with onion, celery, and sage. Super moist and flavorful.
PREP: 30 minutes
COOK: 30 minutes
TOTAL: 1 hour
SERVINGS: 8 servings

Equipment

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

Note: The cornbread should be made a day or two in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal
Author: Christin Mahrlig
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern

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444 thoughts on “Southern Cornbread Dressing”

  1. Best dressing ever!! I made this last year for first time and it was a hit! Everyone loved it, so of course I’m making it again this year!

  2. I used this recipe my first time ever making dressing my family loved it I added a few of my own seasonings to it and I cooked it all within an hour same day

    1. Can we make this a day in advance? If yes should I cook it OR assemble it, refrigerate and cook on Thanksgiving? Never sure when Raw eggs are involved.

      1. I always make a day ahead, assembled and ready to go, covered in plastic wrap in the fridge. Just pop it in the oven the next day. Saves a lot of time.

    1. Stormy Cook

      A stalk is just one green stick. You want to cut off the wide white bottom, and trim the top if it is funky. The leaves and stuff can be eaten, it’s just a milder taste than the green stalk.

    1. Jessica Williams

      I always use the grease and broth from my baked turkey instead of chicken broth in my dressing, makes it so flavorful

  3. If you buy cornbread already made, how much cornbread is needed? I see the recipe for making it at home but how much cornbread does the recipe make?

    1. We freeze our dressing every year so that we have some for Christmas as well. And this allows me to make it early and transport on our 5 hour drive.
      Then we cook it when we arrive.
      Also my daughter is allergic to eggs so I have left them out. The Eggs do bind the dressing, but my recipe is just fine with out it. I just add additional butter or broth, but don’t let it get too mushy.
      Also you do have to cook it lower and longer when it is frozen, then raise the temperature as it gets closer to being done.

  4. Like my mother made and she showed me how. She didnt cook her onions and celery first though. We just mixed it all together in a large aluminum pan out butter all over the top and baked. I sure miss my mother. Her dressing was delicious.

    1. your comment really touched my heart Linda. I’m sorry for such a loss. Happy holidays to you

  5. Gloria Atkins

    I made this recipe last Thanksgiving and let me tell you, it was a big hit.. I have never heard so many ” this is the best dressing ever”!
    Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
    It was the 1st time I had ever made dressing from scratch or otherwise. I have been waiting all year not only make it but to eat it too! 😋

    1. Judy Blaise

      Cornmeal Mix has flour already added but I’m not sure of the ratio. If there is a recipe on the cornmeal mix bag, you could use that in place of the cornmeal/flour.

    2. You can also buy a box of cornmeal and follow the recipe on the back.
      White or yellow cornmeal will work or you can mix them half and half.

    1. Along with the biscuits I use instead of bread, they need to be dried out, that way it crumbles more easily and of course will be rehydrated once everything is mixed together

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