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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How many people does this serve
I always use the grease and broth from my baked turkey instead of chicken broth in my dressing, makes it so flavorful
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?
Can this be put together then frozen to bake later?
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.
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.
your comment really touched my heart Linda. I’m sorry for such a loss. Happy holidays to you
Add some baking powder to your flour.
What size baking dish?
I am doubling the recipe. Should I use two on the same size?
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! 😋
I have self rising flour but can only find self rising cornmeal mix… will that be ok?
Self rising cornmeal is what is called for.
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.
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.
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
You can use either.
Sounds good
looks great, why should the cornbread be made 2 days before?
To allow it to dry up some so it better absorbs the moisture from the dressing mixture
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
Yes! I always add homemade biscuits to my dressing.
You want it to be kind of dried out so that the broth soaks in real nice