An old fashioned cornbread dressing recipe like Grandma used to make. Made the southern way in a big casserole. Simple ingredients, yet big flavor! It's a perfect side dish for your holiday meal.
For Thanksgiving dinner, if you gave me a plate just filled with my grandma's cornbread dressing, I would be a happy woman. Of course I love everything else that graces our Thanksgiving table (turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, green bean casserole, cranberry salad, rolls, etc), but the cornbread dressing is what really does it for me.
I've had a lot of dressings/stuffings in my thirty nine years of life, but I have yet to find a recipe that is as delicious as my grandma's cornbread dressing. With simple ingredients of cornbread, bread, onion, celery, eggs, salt, pepper, sage, and chicken broth, it just goes to show that simple flavors and down home cookin' recipes can still be the most delightful. I hope you enjoy this much loved family recipe.
Cornbread Dressing vs Cornbread Stuffing
People have different names for that bready concoction that shows up next to the turkey on Thanksgiving. Is is dressing or is it stuffing? What's the difference?
They both contain some kind of stale bread, some vegetables, spices and herbs, chicken or turkey broth, and sometimes eggs or meat. Sometimes you will even see some kind of fruit or nuts depending on the variation.
There is, however, one major difference in dressing and stuffing.
Dressing is baked separately in a casserole dish.
Stuffing is, like the word explains, stuffed into the turkey while it cooks.
I much prefer dressing to stuffing for several reasons.
- I think there is less risk of food borne illness when cooking the dressing outside of the bird.
- It is difficult to time it right where the turkey and stuffing are both done at the same time, especially with a large bird.
- I like the taste of dressing better, especially cornbread dressing.
- Last but certainly not least, that's how Grandma did it and I'm not one to mess with perfection. We often enjoy the familiarity of what we grew up eating and dressing is what I have grown to love.
Ingredients Needed
To make cornbread dressing you only need a handful of simple ingredients.
prepared cornbread: The most important part of this recipe is the cornbread. Instead of simply bread for our dressing, we are using half bread, half cornbread. Bake your cornbread a day or two before assembling and cooking your dressing. This helps it to be dried out and soaks up the chicken stock.
bread: Any bread will do: white bread, wheat bread, sourdough, gluten-free. You just need plenty of it and you want the bread cubes dried out as well. Stale old bread works great for this.
salt and pepper: I'm a huge proponent of salt and pepper. Every recipe has to be salted properly to taste good. Don't be afraid to add salt. My homemade broth is mildly salted. If you are using a store-bought broth, go for low sodium so that you don't risk over salting.
sage: The star seasoning of this dish is dried sage. Don't go thinking this won't be flavorful because there's no poultry seasoning or rosemary. It will be; trust me. Sage is all you need.
onions and celery: The onions and celery add tons of flavor as well as some texture. Do not skip them. There is no need to sauté onion and celery ahead of time in a skillet. Just finely chop them and throw them in. The cooking time is long enough that they get tender inside the casserole.
chicken broth: If you really want to make this special, boil a whole chicken or chicken parts to get your broth the day before. You can even use a cup of the chicken meat in the dressing itself. That's how Grandma does it. You could use a store-bought broth if you are in a time crunch, but trust me, the homemade version will be so much better and more nutritious.
To boil the chicken, place it in a stockpot and cover with water and add 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about an hour. After chicken is cooked through, remove chicken and strain broth through a fine mesh sieve. You can see a cooking demonstration video in my post on how to get multiple meals from a whole chicken.
eggs: Use large eggs and not small or medium. Lightly beat them before pouring into the dressing mixture.
What kind of cornbread do you need for cornbread dressing?
You need a single batch of a savory cornbread for this recipe. It doesn't have to be buttermilk cornbread.
Do NOT use a sweet cornbread mix like Jiffy. You want it to have a savory taste.
I like to use my homemade cornbread recipe. It uses simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen already and doesn't require buttermilk. It is a moist cornbread though, so you will need to let it dry out at least overnight. If you are in a time crunch, you may need to cut the cornbread into cubes and toast it in the oven a bit to dry it out a little. Don't worry if it is not super dry.
If you want to use a boxed cornbread mix instead of homemade, my grandma likes to use Martha White's hot rise mix.
I prefer to use my homemade recipe because it doesn't have the extra additives that a boxed recipe contains. I think they both taste very similar though.
How to make grandma's cornbread dressing
- Prepare cornbread (either homemade or Martha White hot rise mix) and let dry out a day or two.
- Cut or tear bread into ½ inch cubes and dry out bread overnight on a baking sheet. Toast on a large baking sheet if you are in a time crunch.
- The next day, heat oven to 400 degrees f.
- Crumble cornbread into little bits.
- Combine cornbread, bread cubes, salt, pepper, sage, finely diced onions and celery in an extra large bowl and mix together.
- Add five cups of the broth and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before adding the eggs.
- Whisk eggs and stir them into the cornbread mixture.
- The cornbread mixture should be very wet in consistency. Add the additional cup of broth if needed.
- Pour into a well greased, 10 x 15 inch casserole dish and spread out in pan.
- Bake covered, at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
- After the elapsed time, uncover and shake the dish. If it jiggles, it is not done. If it is firm, it is done.
- If it doesn't look set, uncover, and bake for additional time until it is firm but still moist on the inside. This could take 5-20 minutes more depending on how deep your casserole dish is or how dry your bread was in the beginning.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Here are more winning recipes for your holiday table.
Best turkey recipe for Thanksgiving
Honey roasted carrots and beets
Grandma's Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
- 10x15 casserole dish
- extra large mixing bowl
- chef knife
Ingredients
- 1 batch prepared cornbread homemade recipe in notes; or use Martha White hot rise recipe
- 10 slices bread sandwich style white, wheat, or sourdough all work
- 1½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1½ cup celery finely chopped
- 4 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp salt If your broth is salted start with less
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 eggs lightly whisked
- 5-6 cups chicken broth for homemade instructions see notes
Instructions
- Prepare cornbread (either homemade or Martha White hot rise mix) and let dry out a day or two.
- Cut or tear bread into ½ inch cubes and dry out bread overnight on a baking sheet. Toast on a large baking sheet if you are in a time crunch.
- The next day, heat oven to 400 degrees f.
- Crumble cornbread into little bits.
- Combine cornbread, bread cubes, salt, pepper, sage, finely diced onions and celery in an extra large bowl and mix together.
- Add five cups of the broth and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before adding the eggs.
- Whisk eggs and stir them into the cornbread mixture.The cornbread mixture should be very wet in consistency. Add the additional cup of broth if needed.
- Pour into a well greased, 10 x 15 inch casserole dish and spread out in pan.
- Bake covered, at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
- After the elapsed time, uncover and shake the dish. If it jiggles, it is not done. If it is firm, it is done. If it doesn't look set, uncover, and bake for additional time until it is firm but still moist on the inside. This could take 5-20 minutes more depending on how deep your casserole dish is or how dry your bread was in the beginning.
Notes
- 1 cup cornmeal, medium grind
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for greasing dish)
Betty Potts
Great and smiple
Tara Buss
I'm so glad, Betty! Thanks for the review and comment.
Heather Griffis
Since measurements for seasoning and onion/celery weren't listed, and I'm not expecting but a few people to dinner this year, I personally guessed 1tsp for seasoning (adding 1/2 tsp more of each as I thought it was needed) and 1Lg onion and 2-3 stalks from a small celery bunch... Hopefully this helps someone else who likes this recipe and wants to use it! 🙂
Please include measurements when sharing recipes!!!
Tara Buss
I can't figure out where in the recipe the measurements aren't listed, but I'm glad you made it work for you. As stated in the recipe:1½ cup onion finely chopped, 1½ cup celery finely chopped, 4 tsp dried sage, 2 tsp salt If your broth is salted start with less, ½ tsp black pepper
Kimby
Can you make it the day before and put it in the fridge to cook the next morning or can it be made and cooked then put in fridge to reheat the next day.
Thanks.
Tara Buss
I have never done that but my leftovers always taste good do I imagine you could. I like it fresh, so I prep everything the day before: crumble cornbread, cube bread, whisk eggs and put in container, measure out broth, chop veg, measure seasonings and put in container. Then the next day I just mix everything together, pour into the casserole dish and bake. It doesn’t take much time to put it together if it’s all prepped.
Lauren
I know right - I was all confused thanks for sharing measurements
Keri Lyell
Do you you stuff it in the turkey?
Tara Buss
No. It’s baked in a casserole dish as stated in the recipe and post.
Cindy B
Can I make this the day before and store overnight in the fridge?
Tara Buss
I have never tried that but my leftovers always taste good so I imagine you could.
I like it fresh, so I prep everything the day before: crumble cornbread, cube bread, whisk eggs and put in container, measure out broth, chop veg, measure seasonings and put in container. Then the next day I just mix everything together, pour into the casserole dish and bake. It doesn’t take much time to put it together if it’s all prepped.
John
My late mother passed her recipe on to my oldest sister, who cooks it really well, but I needed a recipe of my own. I made it foe friends giving this year, and gave you all the credit. I shared this recipe with so many people who were excited to cool it for their families. I didn't have time to dry the white bread, so I lightly toasted it, added pulled rotisserie chicken, and cook for an hour and thirty minutes. This is so much like my mother's recipe. It was so delicious, and thanks again for sharing!
Tara Buss
I love this so much. Thank you so much for sharing!
Laura
How much cornbread do you use? Is it The recipe on the back of the Martha White cornbread hot rise mix? That makes a small cast iron skillet of corn bread? Wasn’t sure if I needed 2 pans? Thank you so much!
Tara Buss
If you are using Martha White, yes the cornbread recipe on the package. It should make an 8x8 dish or an equivalent in a cast iron. Just one of those.
Laura
Thank you! About to make now!:)
Shelley Blanton
Can you make this dressing and freeze until time to cook it? And how long should it thaw before cooking?
Tara Buss
I'm sorry but I've never frozen it before so I can't really give any advice on that.
Carolyn Adams
It freezes very well.
Tara Buss
Glad to hear your first hand experience.
Vanessa
This is my second year making it. There is no recipe better!
Thank you!
Tara Buss
Yay! That makes me so happy, Vanessa!
Barbara Partin
How many biscuits do you use?
Linda Morrow
There are no measurements for seasonings
Can someone help me
Tara Buss
The measurements are in the recipe card. In case you missed them:
1 batch prepared cornbread homemade recipe in notes; or use Martha White hot rise recipe
10 slices bread sandwich style white, wheat, or sourdough all work
1½ cup onion finely chopped
1½ cup celery finely chopped
4 tsp dried sage
2 tsp salt (If your broth is salted start with less)
½ tsp black pepper
6 eggs lightly whisked
5-6 cups chicken broth for homemade instructions see notes
Harry
My family always makes homemade biscuits and homemade cornbread, let it dry out and then crumbles it together along with other ingredients. And it is absolutely the best. True GA southern dressing. And I agree , I could just eat that with some turkey on side.
Tara Buss
Sounds yummy, Harry!
Raffaella
If I don’t use the bread should I make 2 cast iron skillets of cornbread? This is the closest recipe I’ve found to my MIL’s but she only used cornbread and no other bread. I want to use the rest of this recipe exactly though.
Tara Buss
I can't say for sure because I've never made it that way, but I would say that's probably a fairly safe bet. I hope it turns out for you.
Tamara Harris
True cornbread does Not have sugar or flour in it. Adding sugar in flour makes cornmeal cake.
Tara Buss
Did you try the recipe? Rating the recipe one star over a technicality on the purity of cornbread isn't very fair or very accurate. And for what it's worth, just about every recipe out there for cornbread also uses flour. If you would not like flour in your cornbread or your cornbread dressing, a different recipe would probably suit you better.
Robin Carroll Owens
Well said! I don’t add the sugar but the flour makes the cornbread have the perfect consistency to me. It certainly isn’t w Pugh to make it ‘cake’!
Jennifer
I have made this several times and it's perfect. Only variation is I add chopped boiled eggs in because the husband likes it that way.
Tara Buss
I'm so glad, Jennifer! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review.
Tina
If I add hard boiled eggs, is this in addition to the 6 whisked eggs?
Tara Buss
Yes. The raw eggs are a binder and without them the dressing won’t set and will be soup.
Debbie
I have to disagree about not using Jiffy mix. My mother, who could not have been more southern if she tried, always used it. I have made it with other non-sweet mixes but I never like it and always have gone back to Jiffy or some other sweet cornbread mix. Her recipe was like this one but she always added 1 diced up apple and a sleeve-ish of saltine crackers with just 1-2 slices of dried or slightly toasted bread. This recipe along with the crackers, less bread and apples will make it the real southern cornbread I had all my life and carry on to this day.
Tara Buss
That's the beauty of family recipes. Everyone has their own version. Dressing is a bit like chili, endless varieties. I hope you find one that takes you back to your childhood.
Jamie
Do you put the celery and onion in raw? You don’t have to sauté ahead of time, correct?
Tara Buss
Yes, raw. It’s cooked long enough in the casserole that it gets softened enough without having to sauté them first.
Millie
How many cups is the 10 slices of bread when cubed?
Tara Buss
Approximately 7.5 cups of cubed bread. Do not pack down the bread.
Brooke
This is the way my mawmaw made it she would use leftover homemade biscuits and cornbread that she let get stale and no other dressing is better. I can't wait to use your recipe cause I never knew the measurements because it was just a lil of this and a lot of that. This is my first thanksgiving without her I hope I make her proud I will update later. 😁