That's Some Good Cookin

Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing

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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing

Made with simple ingredients and oven-baked, this classic Southern-style cornbread dressing has shown up on Thanksgiving tables for generations. 

Recipe updated 11/21/2019

This lovely cornbread dressing is the only dressing that my family ever made when I was growing up.  After I was married, I made it religiously every year –TRADITION is everything at Thanksgiving — unless, of course, somebody creates something amazing like the afore posted Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing.

As I ventured out on my own away from home, I was amazed to find that anyone else in the world had a different take on what dressing or stuffing was all about. Yes, for all of the traveling that I did as a kid, I was culinarily ignorant. (Except that I did learn about cream puffs when I lived in Wisconsin and scrapple when I lived in Delaware.)

Writing this was a little tricky, but only because it is one of those recipes that was developed over the generations. Its preciseness is based solely on look, feel, and taste. I think you know what I mean. My grandmother passed the recipe down to my mother and my mother passed it on to me. When my mother first told me how to make this dressing, it came with instructions such as, “break up the corn bread until it looks right” or “add the chicken broth until it looks right but not too dry or not too soupy” or “add the spices until it smells about right”…you get the picture.

Making cornbread dressing is actually very cathartic. You get to crumble and tear-up stuff with your bare hands. It is glorious as you feel holiday tensions melting away.

The Ingredients and Tips

Cornbread. The cornbread can be prepared from your favorite plain cornbread recipe. I use this one. I have also used 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, prepared according to package directions and baked in an 8- x 8-inch square baking dish. It takes the prepared batter from both boxes to fill the baking dish. Day-old cornbread is great.

Not a stuffing. This is a dressing, not a stuffing. It is baked separately from the turkey.

Use your hands. One of the great things about this dressing is that you get to use your hands for much of the preparation. Crumble the cornbread with your hands. Tear the toasted bread with your hands. Toss the dry ingredients with your hands. It is best, however, to switch over to using a spoon when you add the liquid ingredients.

Texture. One of the most interesting things about this dressing is its texture. It is very dense and moist. It is not loose like a traditional stuffing. The textural elements are the onions and celery. They will give a little bit of resistance when eating.

If you do not like crunchy vegetables in your dressing, precook the onions and celery in a little butter over low heat until the onions are translucent.

How to know when there is enough liquid. Over the years, I have found that one of my biggest questions has been, “How do I know when I have added enough broth to the dressing?”

One of the biggest factors in answering this question is the cornbread. If the cornbread is very fresh, ie. used as soon as it cools enough to handle, Less broth will be needed. Also, if the cornbread that you are using is tender and moist, less broth will needed. For day old or dryer, firmer cornbread, you might find that more broth is needed.

This is a wet dressing. After baking, it is dense and moist, like a savory cornbread pudding (think savory bread pudding). During the prep stage, however, add enough broth that the ingredients will be very wet, but not soupy or runny. There should still be some texture left to the bread and cornbread, but not much.

If you end up adding too much broth, all is not lost. The dressing can be salvaged. Let the unbaked dressing sit for a few minutes so that the liquid will separate out somewhat. Spoon some off. If this is not possible, then the dressing will need to be baked longer until it is “set”. This will take an additional 15-30 minutes.

Giblets. Turkey giblets work well in this dressing. Precook them, then cut them into small pieces and mix them in with the rest of the dry ingredients. The cooking liquid can be substituted for some or all of the chicken broth in this recipe.

Note:  If you’ve ever wondered about the *difference between stuffing and dressing*, I answer the question here. Check it out!

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Tutorial for Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing

Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Crumble the cornbread. Use your hands to do this. It is soul satisfying. Don’t break the cornbread down too much. It should be on the chunky side.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
What is it about toasted bread that just calls out joy and peace? Now take those pieces of really great smelling toasty toast…
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
…and tear them into bite-sized pieces.  Yes, use your hands. This is even more soul-satisfying than tearing up the cornbread.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Do a small dice on the vegetables. You really don’t want chunky vegetables in this dressing.
 
Please note: The vegetables in this dressing will only soften a little bit while baking in the dressing. If you do not like crunchy vegetables in your dressing, precook the onions and celery in a little butter over low heat until the onions are translucent.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
I had some fresh sage left in my garden. Fresh herbs are so fragrant. You can use fresh or dried herbs in this dressing. The amount of fresh herbs is triple that of dried herbs. For instance, if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried sage, use 1 tablespoon (= to 3 teaspoons) of fresh sage. 
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Cornbread Dressing
My sage plant has survived abuse and neglect for 11 years and is huge.  It doesn’t mind the snow at all and seems to always have some leaves for the offering throughout the winter.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Put the onions, celery, herbs, and salt and pepper into the bowl with the crumbled cornbread and the toast pieces. 
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Mix the broth, eggs, and melted butter together, then pour them over the ingredients in the bowl.  The mixture ought to be quite wet, but not soupy.  Fresh, just cooled cornbread will probably not require as much liquid as does a drier recipe or day old cornbread.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Now toss it all up together. Be sure to get all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. You’ll want to use a spoon for this part. Don’t stir things up too much, just enough to make sure everything gets wet and evenly distributed. I used 4 cups of broth for this batch of cornbread dressing because the cornbread that I was using was very fresh and moist. There have been times when I used a drier cornbread, like from boxed Jiffy-brand, and I had to use an additional cup of broth.
 
Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Put the mixture into a buttered baking dish. Leave it “roughed up” instead of smoothing it out. The texture gives the dressing little crunchy bits. Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven until the dressing is firmly set and is a lovely deep golden brown.  This will probably take about 45 minutes — maybe a little more or a little less, depending on your oven. I baked this particular dressing for 1 hour.
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Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
I’m smiling right now because of all the memories this simple dressing brings back.
 

Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Print Recipe

Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing

A classic Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing, this dressing has a smoother texture and is baked in its own dish. This is not a stuffing. 🙂
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Terri @ that's some good cookin'

Ingredients

  • 1 8- x 8-inch pan of baked cornbread see "Notes"
  • 6 slices white bread, toasted (toss them in the toaster and get them nice and golden)
  • 1 medium onion, small dice
  • 3 stalks celery, small dice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dry sage
  • 1 tablespoon ground poultry seasoning, or to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste see Notes
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 cups (approximately) chicken broth depending on the dryness of the cornbread, it may take up to 5 cups of broth.
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter, well, a 9- x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
  • Tear the toast into small bite-sized pieces and put them in the bowl with the cornbread.
  • Please note: The vegetables in this dressing will only soften a little bit while baking in the dressing. If you do not like softly crunchy vegetables in your dressing, precook the onions and celery in a little butter over low heat until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the chopped onions, celery, herbs and salt and pepper into the bread mixture. It is best to toss these ingredients lightly together with your hands before adding the chicken broth. The photo tutorial in the blog post does not address this, but in the long run it is an easier way to go.
  • Mix the broth, eggs, and melted butter together. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the cornbread mixture. Toss together with a large mixing spoon just until all of the mixture is wet. Fresh, just cooled cornbread will probably not require as much liquid as does a drier recipe or day old cornbread. The dressing at this point should be very, very moist, just short of soupy. It should not look like the more traditional dressings/stuffings you may be used to seeing. If it is too dry, add more chicken broth, up to 1 cup.
  • Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes until the dressing is set. It may require additional baking time, if the dressing is not quite set. A little bit of "jiggling" is normal when the dressing is moved. However, it should hold its shape and look "dry" on top and a rich golden brown. The internal temperature of the dressing should be at least 165-degrees F. It is fine if the internal dressing temp goes up into the 180's.

Notes

For the Cornbread. See this link for homemade cornbread. You can also use two boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix prepared per package instructions and baked together in an 8- x 8-inch baking dish. Just because the box says "muffin mix", does not mean that you must make it into muffins.
Salt and Pepper. If the broth is salty, start with 3/4 teaspoon salt. If the broth is low salt or salt-free, use 1 - 1 1/4 teaspoons. You can take a little taste of the wet dressing before the eggs are added. For the pepper, use 1/8-1/4 teaspoon; more if you enjoy pepper.
Texture. The texture of this dressing, when done, is dense and almost creamy. It is not meant to be fluffy or loose. It can be cut into serving pieces or served family style with each person dishing out their own portion.
Giblets. Turkey giblets work well with this dressing. Precook them, then cut them into small pieces and add them in with the other dry ingredients. The broth from cooking the giblets can be used in place of all or some of the chicken broth.
 
Recipe from Terri @ that's some good cookin'

You might also consider checking out this Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing. It can be used as a dressing or a stuffing. It is amazing!

Sourdough Parmesan Artichoke Stuffing

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Comments

  3. I realize this recipe posting is a couple of years old, but I’ve just gotta tell yah…My mom’s been gone for about 19 years now and any time someone mentions cornbread dressing, I think of her.

    But after reading your post, it made me cry. Everything, with the exception of the toast and fresh sage, is exactly how my mother made it. We tried to figure out the measurements of all the “about” ingredients, but never could.

    Thank you so much for posting this wonderful memory! Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

    Reply

  4. I’ve been looking for a specific dressing recipe for a couple of years now. Someone brought in a pan of turkey (or possibly chicken) and dressing for my daughter’s Thanksgiving program at school. It was amazing. I’m use to eating my mom’s stuffing, of which I was never really a fan. The dressing was super moist, and I haven’t been able to recreate it. I know your dressing doesn’t have any meat in it, but would you say it’s pretty moist when it’s finished cooking?

    Reply

    • He Megan. Sorry for the delayed answer. I just got home from work–looooooong shift today. This dressing is VERY moist. I’m trying to think of how to describe the texture. It is dense and has a fairly smooth consistency, except for the bits of cooked vegetables. Think more along the lines of maybe a savory bread pudding. It is different than many dressings common in other areas of the country namely because of the cornbread and the increased moisture content. Plus you can control the moisture content by adding more or less liquid. Before the dressing is cooked, it is somewhat soupy. I cook my dressing until it is golden and “set”.

      Reply

  5. Hi, this recipe sounds enough for me to prepare. I’ve NEVER, EVER made cornbread dressing. Actually, I was kinda scared that I’d mess it up. And the few times I’d asked a couple of older women how to make resulted in them not wanting to tell me. So, I wasn’t very excited. But I am now. But I notice that your recipe calls for sage and poultry seasoning. Both are pretty potent. Won’t that give the dressing a too strong or bitter taste? Thanx for your response.

    Reply

    • Hi Ginny. Congrats on tackling making cornbread dressing! It’s not difficult, really. Trust yourself and your instincts. I felt pretty unsure of myself the first time I ever made it, too. My mom talked me through it over the phone, but even then, I was not at all convinced that everything would turn out okay. There really is no replacement for actually just jumping in and doing something for yourself.

      I have not ever found the dressing to be bitter. As for being too strong, I haven’t ever noticed that the amount of herbs make the dressing taste too strong. However, perhaps since I grew up eating this dressing, I am used to its flavor. The dressing recipe is quite flexible, so cutting back on the poultry seasoning is fine, maybe use 1-2 teaspoons. My best advice is to not change the amount of sage.

      Drop back by and let me know how things turn out for you. Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving. ~Terri

      Reply

      • Trying this for the first time Christmas Eve I read through a lot of post and this one I felt a connection with as it reminded me of what I remember seeing my Grandmother do in her kitchen. So glad I found this. Grandmothers are always the best cooks. Now I get to take a run at the grandmother cooking because I’m a grandmother myself and wish for everything I cook to be as special as my granny’s was to me . Thanks for sharing this rescipe hope it is as magical as I’m wishing it will be.

        Reply

        • Grandmothers are definitely magical… or at least that’s how we remember them from when we were younger. There’s something peaceful and soothing about watching their hands at work; muscle memory and love coming together to create something perfect.

          It’s a tall order for this dressing recipe to be as great as your Granny’s dressing. But, it is the season of hope, lol. By the way, this recipe is a similar to Southern-style cornbread dressing(s) made by Paula Deen. She and my grandmother were raised in neighboring areas of the country and I have found several recipes for other things that are pretty much the same. Paula’s recipe for dressing calls for crackers, whereas my grandmother’s recipe calls for toast. Paula’s recipe also has more liquid, but I’m guessing that is because of the drier nature of the crackers. ~Terri

          Reply

  6. I have a couple of questions for you regarding the dressing?

    1) Can I use green bell pepper and if so how much should I add?
    2) If I double this recipe what size pan should I use? I was thinking one of those aluminum turkey oven roasting pans, the ones that are oval shaped. They seem to hold a lot of weight and make great quantities of food.
    3) Can I use dried sage? If so about how much?
    4) If I was to freeze whatever leftover dressing how long would it last in the freezer and how would I go about reheating it? Would I defrost it in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl or would I let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator?
    5) If the dressing is too moist, is there some way to rectify it like adding more toasted bread, Ritz crackers, etc….

    Reply

  8. My family LOVED the recipe! I don’t normally make dressing for the holidays because I don’t eat it. I left it to my mom or aunt. Now that my mom is gone, it has fell on me to figure it out. I looked up jiffy recipes and this was the first one to appeal to me. I did tweak it a little because I didn’t have all the ingredients. Onion powder instead of onions and I added chopped hard boiled eggs. My husband just smacked his lips and said “that’s what dressing is supposed to taste like” and my brother said he hasn’t had dressing that good since our mom passed. Thank you for the wonderful recipe

    Reply

    • Ashley, I’m so happy for your success! I had forgotten that my grandmother used to put chopped hard boiled eggs in her dressing, too, until you mentioned that you had done it. Funny how things slide from our memories with time. Anyway, congrats on your new skill, lol. ~Terri

      Reply

  10. I used this recipe last year. The only modification is that I used garlic French bread instead of white bread. I used approximately an equivalent amount. This is sooooo happening again this year!!!

    I just can’t remember how many people this serves. I need to make a lot more this year because we have 40 people showing up for Thanksgiving.

    Reply

    • 40 people! That’s impressive and dang scary! lol. April, I realize the I am responding to this comment late. I’m sorry about that. I have been away from blogging for quite a while, but I have reason to be hopeful that I will be able to return to it soon.

      I’m sure that you have figured out the yield of this recipe. I updated the recipe on the blog to state that there are 12 servings. However, I feel that you can probably get more than that because there is typically A LOT of food on a Thanksgiving table, and folks will tend to take smaller portions of stuffing or dressing. Of course, if you are feeding stuffing/dressing fans, then plan on about 12 servings per 9″ x 13″ pan.

      I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that your Christmas is blessed. ~Terri

      Reply

  11. I am so excited to try this recipe. My mother never made hers with cornbread and my dad always did his will bread and oysters. But my mother-in-law makes the best cornbread dressing every year and she has inspired me to try it in my home with my husband and daughter. Sounds so delish. I just wanted to confirm the recipe called for 6 pieces of toast as listed in the ingredients as opposed to the 2 pieces of toast mentioned in the caption under the picture. Should this recipe include 6 or 2 pieces of toast?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Hi Stef. I apologize for taking so long to answer your question. I had a long to-do list today. 🙂

      Use 6 pieces of toast for the full recipe. It has been a long time since I originally took the step-by-step photos and I can’t remember why I only used two pieces of toast at that time. I should update the process photos. Thanks for pointing out the confusion with the toast images vs the written recipe. For now, I’ll make a note in the caption.

      Have a good day. ~Terri

      Reply

  12. I know this is an old post so I hope I can get an answer…
    I’m feeding about 30 people for Thanksgiving. An 8×8 pan of cornbread will not feed this bunch. How much do you suggest I use? FYI… I do not use any other bread in my dressing.

    Reply

    • Hi Katrina. Since you are feeding 30 people, I would plan on making two pans of dressing. To compensate for the lack of bread as called for in the recipe, I would use extra cornbread…probably 1/2 of a recipe. Since you are will probably be making two pans of dressing, then you could make three 8×8 pans of cornbread. The third pan can be divided between the two pans of dressing. I have taken the liberty of looking up a couple other recipe references for you at trusted websites. These are all for gluten-free cornbread dressing recipes, so no worries about additional bread: The Kitchn, Eating Well. Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving.

      Reply

  13. Excited to try, BUT the directions say one 8×8 of cornbread…….but then the notes say two 8x8s of cornbread. Help?!

    Reply

    • Sorry, Vika. I didn’t see your comment until just now. WordPress used to be great about notifying me when someone left a comment, but they have become vert unreliable on that score. As for the Jiffy cornbread mix, mix two boxes of Jiffy together, using the ingredient amounts listed on the box. Pour all of the mix into one 8- x 8-inch buttered baking dish, then bake according to package directions.

      Reply

    • I apologize. Somehow, somewhere along the line, the instructions got corrupted. I have rewritten them and have included what to do with the eggs. I just finished making the dressing myself and kept wondering where the part about mixing together the broth, the eggs, and the melted butter had gone. I have it in the photo tutorial above the recipe, but somehow it was missing in the recipe, itself.

      Reply

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