The aroma of Southern cornbread dressing baking in the oven is a must on Thanksgiving day. A classic holiday side dish, cornbread dressing is filled with comforting flavors like onion, celery, and sage.
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor/texture: A dense, moist casserole made with crumbled cornbread and comforting, savory flavors like celery, onion, and sage. Pair it with some Gravy Without Drippings and Thanksgiving turkey for a complete meal.
Pan size: 9x13
Serves: 10 people
Similar to: Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread and Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
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Cornbread ingredients
- Cornmeal - White or yellow cornmeal will work in this recipe. White cornmeal has a milder flavor, but otherwise works the same way as yellow cornmeal.
- Sugar - Adds just a tiny hint of sweetness to balance the flavor of your cornbread without making it sweet. If you don't like any sugar in your cornbread, feel free to omit it entirely.
- Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand, make a buttermilk substitute. Add 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then, fill to the 1.5 cup line with milk. Allow to set for 5 minutes and your buttermilk substitute is ready.
Dressing ingredients
- Sage - A classic Thanksgiving seasoning. It can be substituted with another mild savory herb like thyme, oregano, or poultry seasoning if desired.
- Breadcrumbs - Traditional bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, or crushed butter crackers (like Ritz brand) can be used.
- Chicken broth - Can be substituted with vegetable broth. I recommend using regular broth, not low sodium, if possible. If using a low sodium broth for health reasons, you may want to add additional herbs, onion, powder, and garlic powder to your dressing for flavor.
How to make Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Prepare cornbread batter and pour into a 9x13 pan.
- Bake until lightly browned across the top and the center is set.
- Cook celery and onion in butter until softened and slightly browned. Add sage and cook another minute.
- Add vegetables to crumbled cornbread, broth, eggs, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix until evenly combined.
- Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and center is set.
Tips and tricks
Crumble cornbread into large pieces - There's no need to crumble your cornbread into a fine dust - large chunks work great here. This adds texture to your finished casserole.
Low sodium broth - If you must use low or no sodium broth, consider adding a bit of salt, poultry seasoning, thyme, and/or garlic powder to your casserole before baking. Much of the flavor in the finished dish comes from the use of regular broth (which is why additional salt isn't added to the casserole).
To prevent a mushy casserole - Make sure the liquids have been measured exactly - too much broth can make your casserole mushy. Make sure it's baked all the way through to the center. If it looks mushy and wet after the recommended cooking time, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, uncovered.
Make it the day beforehand - The great part about this recipe is that it's fantastic made a day ahead. This allows the dressing to soak up the liquids and the flavors to meld. While it can be tossed straight into the oven, I love making it the day before so I'm not rushing to assemble everything on Thanksgiving day.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, I actually recommend making cornbread dressing a day ahead of time. This not only saves time on a busy holiday (like Christmas or Thanksgiving) but also allows the flavors to meld. It can be assembled up to two days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to preheat your oven. While the oven preheats, transfer your casserole to the counter top to start bringing to room temperature.
Yes, two 8.5 ounce Jiffy cornbread boxes, prepared as directed on the box, can be substituted for the cornbread ingredients below.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1.5 cups (234 g) cornmeal
- ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 cups (340 g) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
Dressing
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups (213 g) chopped celery, about 3 celery ribs
- 1.5 teaspoons dried sage
- 1.5 cups (168 g) breadcrumbs
- 32 ounces (907 g) chicken broth
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1.5 teaspoons pepper
Instructions
Cornbread
- Preheat oven to 425F and lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: Cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to remove any lumps.
- Add buttermilk and eggs, whisking to combine. Add melted butter and whisk until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared dish and spread to the edges of the pan. Bake for about 25-28 minutes, or until top and sides are lightly browned and cornbread is set in the center.
- Allow cornbread to cool completely in the pan, then gently crumble into a large bowl.
Dressing
- Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Once hot, add celery and onion and cook until lightly browned around the edges and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add sage, stir, and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Pour vegetables into a large bowl with crumbled cornbread. Add remaining ingredients: breadcrumbs, chicken broth, eggs, and pepper. Gently stir together until evenly combined.
- Gently press mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove casserole from the refrigerator and set on the counter while your oven preheats.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 35-40 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and center is set. Serve warm.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Make ahead: Dressing can be prepared up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Using Jiffy cornbread mix: The above cornbread recipe can be substituted with two 8.5 oz boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix if desired.
- Storage: Leftover dressing will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Leftover dressing can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cover tightly or wrap in foil. Transfer from freezer to refrigerator to thaw the night before.
- Reheating: Dressing can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through (if reheating an entire pan, this can take up to 30 minutes).
I used this for TG at Cheryl’s 2023
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