This old fashioned Southern cornbread dressing recipe is a classic that’s a must-have for every Thanksgiving table. It’s made with celery, onions, homemade cornbread, white bread and plenty of herbs. You’ll never look at cornbread stuffing the same way again!
Looking for the perfect cornbread stuffing recipe for your holiday meal? This cornbread dressing is a staple in many Southern households for good reason – it’s absolutely delicious! Serve it alongside slow cooker creamed corn and bacon roasted brussels sprouts.
Today we’re talking about stuffing, because Thanksgiving is almost here! There are about ten million ways to do stuffing, but this Southern cornbread dressing is my favorite. It’s moist and delicious with a light and fluffy texture and the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Not gonna lie, my husband and I both made this our dinner after I took these photos, it’s just that good.
What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?
You’ll notice me using the terms stuffing and dressing interchangeably in this post. So what’s the difference between the two? Not a whole lot, it’s mostly a regional preference as to whether you call it stuffing or dressing.
Dressing tends to be baked almost exclusively outside the bird, while stuffing can either be inside the turkey or in a separate dish. I actually tend to mostly refer to it as stuffing, although I never actually stuff my bird. In the South people tend to call it dressing, and this is a Southern style recipe so there you go, we’ve got Southern cornbread dressing here.
How do you make cornbread dressing?
The first step in this recipe is the cornbread. I use my honey cornbread recipe, but you could use store bought cornbread if you’re short on time. I make the cornbread at least one day in advance, stale bread is best for dressing!
The cornbread is mixed with cubes of stale white bread (I use the butter top variety) to form the basis of this dish. The breads are mixed with veggies that have been cooked in plenty of butter, along with some broth, eggs and fresh herbs. Place the whole thing in the oven and bake to golden brown perfection.
Can dressing be made ahead of time?
You can assemble your dressing up to 8 hours before the big meal. Simply cover your baking dish with foil and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. You may need to increase the cooking time a bit since you’ll be starting with a cold dish.
Cornbread dressing tips
- You can make your homemade cornbread up to a month in advance and freeze it until you’re ready to make stuffing.
- You can add other flavors to this stuffing to make it your own. Some great additions are sausage, apples, mushrooms or chestnuts.
- While I typically use plain old white bread in this recipe, you could also use wheat bread, or an artisan bread like a baguette.
I have a lot of people in my family that are stuffing haters, I can’t wait to unveil this Southern cornbread dressing to them this year to see if they change their minds! In my opinion this is the best stuffing recipe I’ve tried, and I try a different recipe almost every year trying to find one my family will like. The combination of the veggies, two types of bread and fresh herbs just can’t be beat. It’s buttery and delicious just like any good Thanksgiving recipe should be!
More thanksgiving side dishes
- Green Bean Bundles
- Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Cranberry Jello Salad
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 recipe honey cornbread or any 9" square cornbread that's homemade or store bought
- 5 slices stale white bread cut into cubes
- 10 tablespoons butter divided use
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
- optional: sage leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the honey cornbread according to post instructions.
- Cool the cornbread and crumble. Place the cornbread in a large bowl with the bread cubes and toss to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes or until softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Place the vegetables in the bowl with the cornbread mixture.
- Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and pour into a large bowl. Add the chicken broth, eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and sage and whisk to combine.
- Pour the butter mixture into the bowl with the cornbread mixture and stir to combine.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until dressing is browned and cooked through.
- Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with sage leaves if desired. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on November 14, 2017 and was updated November 6, 2018 with new content.
Kristi Robbins says
Hi there! I’ve been on the hunt for a dressing recipe and I think this is the one. Could you please tell me (overall) how much salt and pepper you use. Thank you!
Sara says
I start with about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. It does depend on what kind of cornbread you use though, whether you use a bread that’s more on the sweet side or more on the savory side. It also depends on whether you use low sodium or regular broth. So I’d suggest starting with that seasoning level, give it a little taste before you add the eggs, then add more seasoning if needed.
Leo Davis says
A little variation, I bake the dressing in muffin tins; it’s just the right size for a serving and easy to split with butter and gravy.
You can’t have dressing without gravy!!
Sara says
Sounds like a great idea I need to try that next time!
Victoria says
Oh my ….mI just made this Southern dressing and let me tell you that is some good. for my first try and adding all of my spices that thing came out good! thank you so much for sharing. I may want to hide some of this dressing because it is really good!!
Happy Thanksging!!
Sara says
Thanks Victoria, Happy Thanksgiving to you too!!
Mandee says
Do you cube your bread and then let it go stale? I have a recipe I’ve used for several years that’s similar and I love the flavor. But it calls for the bread toasted and it never seems to stay in chunks like yours once I start adding in broth. Making cornbread tonight and using stale sourdough!
Sara says
Yes, cube it then put it in a single layer on a sheet pan to dry for 8-24 hours. Mix it at least once so that both sides of the bread get dry!
Cat says
If I am going to assemble ahead of time should I still add in the eggs or should I wait before I put in the eggs?
Sara says
Yes you can add the eggs when you assemble it!
Jill Morton says
Planning on making this recipe for Thanksgiving! Will it be OK to substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth as I have a couple of relatives who are vegetarian?
Sara says
Yes that’s totally fine!
Teresa G Alvarez says
Hi Sara,
I’m going to try your recipe this Thanksgiving. It’s looks delicious, I love cornbread stuffing.
One question: Can I use dried sage instead of the fresh or does the fresh tastes better?
Thank you,
Oh! by the way you have three of the most beautiful little girls. God bless!
Sara says
Thank you so much Teresa! I really prefer the flavor of fresh sage, but if you’d like to substitute dried sage, you can use 1 teaspoon. Happy Thanksgiving!
Shauna says
Do you think that I could add sausage to this? That is the only ingredient I’m craving to add to it!
Looks absolutely delicious -thanks for sharing!
Sara says
Yes you can definitely add cooked sausage!
Athena says
Oh yum! This looks amazing. I never would have thought there’d be a difference between stuffing and dressing!
Wendy Polisi says
When I was young, we always made our stuffing from scratch. As an adult, I primarily make it from a box. I think I would like to go back to homemade with this recipe.
Ladonna Batiste says
I love cornbread stuffing and I remember that my grandmother use to make it on Thanksgiving. Stuffing is my fav Thanksgiving dish. Thanks so much for this great recipe. I looks yummy.
Erin s says
I am hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner and this looks so delicious! I am pinning this to remember
Monica says
Oh my, this looks absolutely delicious! Going to try it for this week’s Sunday dinner.
Sara says
Hope you enjoy!
Tina Bowling says
I just love a good traditional dish for the holidays. Stuffing is quite possibly my favorite for Thanksgiving dinner! Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
sarah kasulke says
Omg!! this sounds so good!! I might have to try this out for Friendsgiving!
Jennifer Deburkarte says
Trying this for the first time for an event tomorrow. Wish me luck and I’ll upload pictures and let you know how it goes.
Freida says
Looks so good, gotta try it!!! Do you boil the eggs before you add? Really want to make this, just want to make it right.
Sara says
Nope, just add them raw!
Joyce says
I wonder if this could be made in a instapot? If so what would have to be done differently Timewise ect..
Sara says
I think it could, you’d likely need to put it in a baking dish on a trivet in the instant pot and put a little water at the bottom of the Instant Pot. I’d cook it on manual for 15-20 minutes. It won’t get that same crispy browned top in the Instant Pot, that’s the only down side!
Jan Ellsworth says
Looks GREAT! Where do I find Honey Bread?
Sara says
The honey cornbread is a recipe on my site: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/honey-cornbread/. If you don’t want to make your own cornbread, a store bought cornbread will work!
Katie says
I have been making cornbread and putting away pieces of it in the freezer to save for cornbread dressing. Could you tell me how many cups this recipe translates too?
Sara says
A 9 inch pan holds about 8 cups of batter, so you’re probably looking at 6-7 cups of cooked cornbread!
Lindsey says
Made this to go with fried turkey for Christmas. Used gluten free cornbread and no bread (gluten free bread doesn’t dry out the same). It was fluffy and delicious. I have missed cornbread stuffing since having to go gluten free. This was a big hit. Thank you!
Carol Cassara says
It looks so tasty and packed with flavor! It’s definitely something that I’d love to have on my table this year. Thanks for the recipe, I’d love to give it a try.
travel blogger says
I have never made dressing before! I have been looking for a good dish to take to our family Thanksgiving, and I think this is the winner. It looks so delicious!
Pooh says
Yes I am going to use the recipe, this will be my first time making dressing for Thanksgiving wish me luck
Sara says
Hope you enjoy it!
Pam says
Cornbread dressing is ,h family’s favorite type of dressing. We have it at every holiday.
Liz Mays says
Oh yum! I think the honey cornbread flavors sound pretty good. The little hint of sweetness would be nice!
My Teen Guide says
This looks like a really delicious recipe for stuffing. Let me see if my sisters would agree to a deviation from the staple stuffing we have every year. I think your recipe is better!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Thank you for this recipe. Some of my family members don’t like dressing (or stuffing), while some feel incomplete without it on Thanksgiving dinner. I will make this southern cornbread dressing anyway because I think it is delicious!
Christie Cronan says
Southern style cornbread dressing is amazing! I just had it for the first time last year, and it was fantastic! The woman who made it put an ENTIRE chicken in it. SO good!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
I LOVE cornbread dressing. I live in Georgia, and it’s a staple for Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND Easter. Om nom nom.
Catherine Sargent says
This cornbread dressing recipe looks so good. I am in charge of side dishes this year and I am going to make this recipe.
robin rue says
Around here we call that stuffing 🙂 I have never had cornbread stuffing before, though – it sounds really good.