Friends, my love for cornbread dressing runs deep. Homemade cornbread is mixed with savory herbs & spices, butter, and sautéed veggies, then baked until perfectly golden brown. It’s one of my all time favorite side dishes. Growing up in the south, cornbread dressing was a staple dish during the holidays and occasionally for Sunday dinner. I’ve watched my mom make this dressing a hundred times. It’s moist, flavorful, and always makes a lot. She often includes chicken in her dressing, but today I’m sharing a simple recipe for delicious easy cornbread dressing!
Stuffing vs. Dressing
A lot of times stuffing and dressing are considered the same but there is a difference. Stuffing is primarily made with coarse bread cubes, whereas dressing is usually made with cornbread. In the past stuffing was often stuffed and cooked inside the turkey. But cornbread dressing is cooked in a separate casserole dish. Different regions of the country may prefer one name over the other, but as someone who was born and raised in the South, it will always be cornbread dressing to me!😊
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Cornbread: The base for a good dressing recipe is homemade cornbread. My recipe is super easy to make with basic pantry ingredients.
- White Bread: In order to add extra texture to the dressing you’ll want to mix in some toasted white bread, french bread, or sourdough bread.
- Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper: This holy trinity combination of veggies adds a lot of flavor and is very common in southern cornbread dressing recipes.
- Seasoning: There’s no need to get too fancy with the seasoning. All you’ll need is a combination of poultry seasoning, sage, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Even though sage is an ingredient in poultry seasoning, I like using a little extra in my dressing for added flavor.
- Cream of Chicken: A can of cream of chicken soup adds extra moisture and flavor.
- Chicken Broth: You’ll want to use a good quality chicken broth or homemade broth for the best flavor. If you're making this with your Thanksgiving turkey, then turkey broth would be really good!
- Egg: An egg helps bind the dressing together.
How To Make Cornbread Dressing
Here's a quick step-by-step guide on how to make southern-style cornbread dressing. The full measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Step One: Crumble the day old cornbread and toasted bread in a large bowl. Be sure to leave a mix of big pieces and smaller pieces.
Step Two: Sauté the vegetables in a large skillet with the butter.
Step Three: Add the sautéed veggies to the bowl along with the seasoning, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth. Mix everything together until combined. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if needed. Then add the egg last.
Step Four: Mix everything together and add the dressing to a buttered baking dish.
Step Five: Bake the dressing until its golden brown and set.
Enjoy your cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving, Sunday dinners, and other special holiday gatherings.
Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 batch homemade cornbread *day old
- 6 slices toasted bread
- ½ cup butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups chicken broth, or turkey broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl crumble the day old cornbread* and the toast. Leave some larger pieces mixed in with the smaller pieces.
- Next, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until the veggies have softened. Add the sautéed veggies to the bowl with the crumbled bread.
- Add the poultry seasoning, sage, salt, black pepper, and onion powder to the bowl. Then add the cream of chicken soup to the bowl.
- Now carefully pour in the chicken broth about 1 cup at a time and stir until all the ingredients are combined. Taste the dressing and adjust any seasoning to your liking.
- Add the beaten egg to the bowl and mix with the dressing to combine.
- Pour the dressing in a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the dressing around evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown on top and the dressing is set. Serve with gravy (optional) and any of your favorite side dishes. I always serve mine with a generous amount of cranberry sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using freshly baked cornbread, crumble the cooked cornbread and spread it out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 300°F for roughly 15-20 minutes until the cornbread has dried out.
- Cook time does not include the time it takes to make the cornbread. It’s best to make the cornbread the day before.
- Storage: Store any leftover cornbread dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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