Name: Southern Cornbread Dressing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 10
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

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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!

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Cornbread Dressing Video

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