Try this recipe once, and your mouth will start to water every time you think of it! My family’s cherished Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe is wonderfully moist and seasoned with onions, celery, and sage. It puts stuffing to shame!
I’ll be checking soon to make sure I have everything I need for the one comfort food recipe that I absolutely can never even think about leaving off the menu for Thanksgiving. It’s our family’s cherished and very much sought-after Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe.
This cornbread dressing is always the star of the show at our Thanksgiving dinners. The side dishes may change. The desserts may be varied. But there is always, always dressing on the menu.
— This post was originally published on November 5, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern; Southern Vintage
Cooking Method: Oven/Stovetop
Total Time: 1 Hour, 55 Minutes
Servings: 12
Primary Ingredient(s): Cornmeal, onions, celery, chicken broth, saltine crackers
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found your recipe about 6 years ago, and my whole family LOVES it. I am now the only one allowed to make the dressing for the family holiday get-togethers. Thank you!”
— Jennifer Ramey
“This is the absolute best recipe for authentic, South Georgia dressing. The Egg Bread recipe is perfect. Although I grew up eating this type of dressing, Nanny Pete and Mama didn’t write anything down. So having the ingredients and directions spelled out like this is just wonderful. Thank you!”
— Sharon Renaud
Stuffing or Dressing? What’s the Difference?
There are those who will debate the differences between dressing and stuffing. And I suppose there are merits to each, but dressing is our tradition.
Some people say that the difference is simply that stuffing is cooked inside the turkey, and dressing is cooked in a separate dish. I would say that there’s a great deal more difference than that.
The type of cornbread dressing that I grew up with was as different from stuffing as night is from day. Stuffing has cubes of bread or cornbread with other wonderful additions—vegetables, sausage, even fruit.
But dressing is of a completely different texture. The cornbread is broken down to be more homogenous with the other ingredients, which are typically not much more than onions, celery, and stock.
It’s also given some lift during cooking with the addition of beaten eggs. The result is more akin to what southerners would call “souffled,” the cornbread having been lightened and puffed by the addition of the eggs.
My Mama’s Dressing
This recipe is, with minor modifications, my mother’s recipe for cornbread dressing. Now, my mama is the undisputed Queen of Southern Cornbread Dressing Makers.
She holds the title, and everyone in the family knows it. We’re all crazy about her dressing, and she always makes far more than is needed to feed the crowd because everyone wants to take the leftovers home.
When BeeBop and I were newly married and living far away from our southern home, Mama wrote down her dressing recipe and mailed it to me to use for our very first Thanksgiving together.
That was 38 years ago, and I’ve used her handwritten family recipe and instructions ever since. It makes me feel like she’s right there in the kitchen cooking with me.
If you want to treat your family to some authentic Southern cornbread dressing, just give my recipe a try.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on pages 148-149 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Ingredient Notes
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Cornmeal — I always use finely ground white cornmeal for my dressing and encourage you to use it if you have access to it. But then, I’m a cornmeal snob. You may prefer yellow cornmeal or a medium grind. Any cornmeal will work, but anything other than finely ground will produce a very different texture in the finished dressing. My preferred brands are Arnett’s and Hoover’s. If I can’t get those, I’ll use Palmetto Farms.
- Cream of Chicken Soup — You can make your own cream of chicken soup substitute if you like. Campbell’s brand canned soup suits me fine.
- Eggs — Eggs are used in this recipe to produce a gentle lift and light souffle effect that creates a fluffier texture than most recipes.
- Broth — Homemade turkey broth, chicken broth, or chicken stock is best, but purchased is okay, too.
- Butter — Yes, a whole stick. That’s 1/2 cup. I know.
- Celery and Onions — These are the primary seasonings for the dressing, and both are important to the flavor.
- Poultry Seasoning — I’ve had people who swear that they absolutely hate sage and then rave about my dressing. Now, what is the primary ingredient in poultry seasoning? You guessed it….sage.
- Crackers — Regular old saltine crackers. Or use leftover stale white bread or biscuits.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Southern Cornbread Dressing
Make the Egg Bread
Pro Tip
You’ll start the recipe by making a homemade cornbread recipe that we call egg bread. The egg bread should be room temperature when you start to assemble the dressing, so it’s easiest to make it a day in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- Into the dry ingredients, alternately add the buttermilk and eggs. Add one egg at a time, followed by some of the buttermilk. Whisk well after each addition.
- Pour the cooking oil into a large skillet (cast iron is best) and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes).
- Carefully but quickly, remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour in the batter. Return the pan immediately to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Set aside the egg bread until you’re ready to make the dressing.
Saute the Vegetables
- Chop the onions and celery.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
- Add the onions and celery and cook slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/2 teaspoon salt while cooking.
Assemble the Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish. Just break the cornbread up as small as you can with your hands. Don’t worry about it too much; you’ll work out the finer texture later.
- Add the crushed saltine crackers, soup, and broth. Then, using a potato masher or a big cooking fork, break up the egg bread and crackers with the soup to create a finer texture. You want as few lumps as possible.
- To the cornbread mixture, add the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Stop at this point and taste the mixture. You may need a little more salt. Remember, that’s a big dish of dressing to season.
- Once the seasoning is right, lightly beat the eggs and stir them well into the dressing mixture.
The Voice of Experience
At this point, your dressing mixture should be fairly “soupy.” If you think it’s too thin, you can add some additional bread, crackers, etc. to thicken it. However, it’s rarely too wet.
Even if you think the dressing is too wet, it’s probably not. It took me a long time to learn that. It’s just one of those cook-by-feel lessons that you acquire through making a traditional recipe over and over.
If you do add more bread or crackers, be sure to crumble them very well and incorporate them thoroughly into the mixture.
Bake
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout. Test it by inserting a table knife near the center. If it comes out clean, the dressing is done.
Can I Make Cornbread Dressing Ahead of Time?
People often ask me if they can assemble the dressing a day ahead and bake it when they’re ready to serve. I know that some people do, but honestly, I don’t advise doing it simply because cornmeal (and, therefore, cornbread) is very, very absorbent. The longer it sits, the more liquid it absorbs. If you make your dressing the day before you bake it, it will most likely turn out dry because the cornmeal will have absorbed all the liquid. This type of cornbread dressing is meant to be quite moist when served.
However — here’s what you can do:
(1) Bake the egg bread one to two days in advance. Let it cool, then crumble it and store it in a container in the refrigerator.
(2) Cook the onions and celery up to two days ahead and store them in the refrigerator.
(3) Crush the crackers and have them ready to go.
The day you’re cooking, it will take you just a few moments to assemble everything and pop it into the oven.
Storing Leftovers
Any leftovers should be cooled completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Store the sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze dressing for later use. To freeze, place the dressing in a freezer storage container and use within six months. To reheat frozen dressing, let it thaw completely and then rewarm it gently in the oven at 350 degrees. I stir in a little extra chicken stock or water to remoisten it if I’m reheating from frozen.
How to Serve
We always do a buffet for Thanksgiving. I make a large turkey serving platter with sliced turkey on one end and mounds of dressing on the other. Serve turkey or giblet gravy to drizzle over the dressing and, of course, cranberry sauce on the side.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Want to Try
Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy
Easy Cranberry Orange Sauce
Old Fashioned Copper Pennies
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
For the egg bread:
- 2 cups finely ground white cornmeal sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
For the dressing:
- 2 onions
- 3 ribs celery
- 8 tablespoon butter (1 stick)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Egg Bread recipe above
- 2 cups saltine crackers or leftover biscuits or stale bread (may need more to finish)
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 32 ounces chicken (or turkey) broth or stock
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 eggs
Instructions
Make the egg bread:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt.2 cups finely ground white cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Into the dry ingredients, alternately add the buttermilk and eggs (add one egg at a time, followed by some of the buttermilk; whisk well after each addition).2 cups buttermilk, 3 eggs
- Pour the cooking oil into a large cast iron skillet and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes).3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Remove the skillet from oven and carefully but quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet. Return the skillet immediately to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow the egg bread to cool completely before proceeding.
Assemble the dressing:
- Chop the onions and celery.2 onions, 3 ribs celery
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.8 tablespoon butter
- Add the onions and celery cooking slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle with the salt while cooking.½ teaspoon salt
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish.Egg Bread
- Add the crushed saltine crackers, soup, and broth. Mix well using a potato masher or large fork to break up the egg bread to a fine texture.2 cups saltine crackers, 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, 32 ounces chicken (or turkey) broth or stock
- Stir in the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Taste and adjust for more salt if needed.2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Lightly beat the eggs and add to the dressing mixture. Your mixture should be fairly “soupy.” If you think it’s too thin, you can add some additional crackers, bread, etc. to thicken it. Be sure to crumble them well and incorporate them into the mixture. (Please read my notes in the post about judging the texture of the mixture.)3 eggs
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top, slightly puffed, and cooked throughout.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This recipe for dressing is so good, it definitely is not reserved for just Thanksgiving. I did substitute Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoning stuffing mix for the crackers. I like the extra herb seasoning, and my mother used that as well. The smell of that wonderful dressing cooking in my kitchen took me back to my childhood. I have found the recipe that I will be using going forward!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and made it your own with changes!
Thank you for sharing recipes that bring back very fond memories of my childhood! By the way, I received your cookbook and love it!
Thank you so much for buying my cookbook! I’m so glad to know that you like it.
I grew up in North Dakota so I only had bread dressing until I married my husband from Memphis. What an awakening in food! I now cook both North & South foods.
The host made bread dressing so I made your cornmeal dressing for a shared Thanksgiving meal. Those of us that ate it really enjoyed it. Without the crackers it was a great gluten free option for one of the guests!
I will be replacing the cream of chicken soup with cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup as I did not care for the chicken taste of the soup.
I love the flavor of sage so I actually added approximately 1/8 tsp extra!
It makes me happy to know that you enjoyed this true Southern classic at your Thanksgiving table. I hope you’ll keep exploring the blog for more old-fashioned southern recipes.
My mom made this recipe this year and it was my absolute favorite dressing I’ve ever had. Currently making this for my family tomorrow , and will forever come back to this recipe every year ! So yummy
I’m so glad you like the dressing recipe! I’ve been making it just like this for about 50 years now.
You don’t use flour in your cornbread
No, not for this recipe. Some of my different cornbread recipes do use a small amount.
I live in Marietta, Georgia and we had an ice storm today therefore I can’t get out to buy any buttermilk. I wanted to make your dressing but all I have is whole milk. Will that work as a substitute. I’m sure it won’t taste the same.
Hi Karen – I’m in Buford, Georgia, so I’m in the same weather as you 🙂. I personally would not make this recipe with whole milk. The buttermilk is very important to the flavor.
This is as close to my grandmothers as any I have tried. My family loves it.
Juli
I’m so glad to know you enjoy the recipe! Ours is in the oven cooking right now!