Southern Cornbread Dressing
Try this recipe once and your mouth will start to water every time you think of it! My cherished family recipe for Southern Cornbread Dressing 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.
🤔 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 34 years ago, and I’ve used her handwritten 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.
🥘 Ingredients You’ll Need
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 a 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 you’ll have a different texture. 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.)
- Broth (Homemade turkey broth, chicken broth, or chicken stock is best but purchased is okay, too.)
- Crackers (Regular old saltine crackers. Or use leftover stale bread or biscuits.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Southern Cornbread Dressing
Make the Egg Bread
You’ll start by making a cornbread recipe that we call egg bread. The egg bread should be room temperature, so it’s easiest to make it the day before you make the dressing.
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.
👉 PRO TIP: I always make the egg bread a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until it’s needed.
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.
- 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.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the dressing mixture.
👉 PRO TIP: 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 into the mixture.
Bake
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
🕒 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 ready to serve. Quite honestly, I don’t advise doing that simply because cornmeal (and therefore, cornbread) is very, very absorbent. The longer it sits, the more liquid it absorbs. If you made your dressing the day before baking, it would most likely turn out dry because the cornmeal would have absorbed all the liquid. This type of 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 ahead. 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.
❓ Questions About Cornbread Dressing
Of course, you can use your favorite egg substitute in this recipe.
This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze it for later use. To freeze, place the dressing in a freezer storage container and use it within six months.
We always do a buffet for Thanksgiving. I make a large 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 Like
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
WE’RE ON FACEBOOK, TOO!
If you’d like to hang out with lots of other Southern Comfort Food lovers, make sure to join my FREE PRIVATE Facebook group.
📖 Recipe
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
For the egg bread:
- 2 cups finely ground white cornmeal sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
For the dressing:
- 2 onions
- 3 ribs celery
- 8 tablespoon butter (1 stick)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Egg Bread recipe follows
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 32 ounces chicken (or turkey) broth or stock
- 2 cups saltine crackers or leftover biscuits or stale bread (may need more to finish)
- 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.
- 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 cast iron skillet and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes).
- 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.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
- Add the onions and celery cooking slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp. salt while cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish.
- 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.
- Stir in the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Taste and adjust for more salt if needed.
- 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.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
Notes
Equipment
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 health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published November 5, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I would almost kill for this southern cornbread dressing!!!!! In the north they eat bread stuffing that is all gummie. I am polite and take one little spoonful but hate ever bite of it………………….. YOU could sent me a big of this any time :-)
And the angels sang “Hallelujah!”
Truly, absolutely, still after so many decades, the absolute best food on the planet. Mama is indeed the Queen of Dressing.
Miss P
Yes, she is! No doubt.
Question I don’t have a case iron skillet can I bake it in a pie pan or glass dish?
You can bake it in any ovenproof dish.
Hi Lana,
I made the egg bread today – I am planning on putting the dressing together tomorrow morning then refrigerate it overnight and then cook it on Thankgiving day. Is this a good strategy? If I cut the recipe in half how much bread crumbs, saltine crackers and stale bread should I add? Can I blend the onion and celery after they are sautéed? My husband doesn’t like the texture.
You’ll have to add a good bit more liquid if you let it sit overnight. The cornbread absorbs a massive amount of liquid in a short time. I never make mine ahead of time.
Lana, I have to thank you for posting this again! I think this post is how I found you a few years ago, and I’ve used your egg bread & dressing recipes for the past 3 or 4 years. It gives me that wonderful southern cornbread dressing like my mom and MIL used to make. Thank you thank you thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
For years, into my adulthood, I wondered what made my paternal grandmother’s dressing so special. Finally figured out that it was the addition of rosemary.
THis recipe is the one I chose as my first time ever making dressing. IT IS AMAZING! All the guest said it was the best they ever had.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Lana, all those ingredients, the i.e., Egg Bread (recipe follows)
1 can cream of chicken soup
32 oz. chicken broth or stock is for if you only do one pan of egg bread correct? so I should just double all of that if I make two or three egg breads correct?
Yes, the recipe as written is for one batch of dressing using one pan of egg bread.
Ver similar to my moms dressing. I’m tryin yours now! Can I prepare it all tonight and refrigerate it until I cook it tomorrow?
Theresa – it will absorb too much liquid if you mix it up tonight and it’ll be very dry when you bake it. I don’t advise mixing it in advance.
Can I use jiffy cornbread mix? I usually do and I think it’s sweet but the fam likes it. I just add sage, poultry seasoning, s/p, broth and celery so it’s plain but the sweet gives it a little more interest.
I want to change it up but not too much and this looks great! I just bought my cornbread mixes tho. Would it work?
Hi Christy – If you want an authentic taste, Jiffy won’t work. First, it’s yellow cornmeal instead of white and secondly, it’s way too sweet. It also has a very different texture than this egg bread. It’s okay sometimes, I guess, but it won’t make *this* recipe correctly.
There was a recent pin on Pinterest showing family recipes framed with a burlap mat. Your handwritten recipe needs a linen mat and a place of honor.
Lana, I am so excited that sweet people like you still exist in this world. I am 33 yrs old and not a very good cook but I try. I want to cook homemade dressing for Thanksgiving but was afriad I could not do it. This step by step recipe reafirmed my faith and with this I know I can do it. I was 23 when my mom passed away and my dad just passed away 6 months ago. They were both wonderful cooks!!! This recipe brings tears to my eyes, its what I remember eating when I was a kid. Thanks again and wish me good luck.
Amanda – comments like yours are what make all the work involved in a food blog totally worth it! Here’s wishing you all the luck in the world! By the way, I’ll be monitoring my email all during Thanksgiving. You just email me any time if you have a question about the recipe. I’ll be happy to try to help!
Hi there. Lana plan to make your wonderful looking dressing. Can I make it earlier than Thanksgiving day and freeze it? Your thoughts please. Since I’m 71 I like to make what I can ahead of time. Thanks
Good question, Connie! And honestly…I’m not sure. I have not in all these years tried freezing the dressing. I do prepare it ahead of time by cooking my cornbread a day or two in advance and sauteing the vegetables. I have that all ready to go in the fridge and just pull it out and mix it up on Thanksgiving morning. You can mix it early in the day and let it sit in the fridge, but be sure to bring it to room temperature before baking. Also, if it has been standing for a while, be sure to check whether it needs a bit more broth. That cornbread really soaks it up!
Sometimes, when I read recipes of yours, I just well up with tears…. It’s like reading recipes from either one of my late grandmomma’s, my aunts, or my own mothers recipe boxes. And its so funny to read people’s remarks about “dressing vs. stuffing”. As a southerner, I didn’t know what stuffing was until I was in my 20’s! All I ever knew was that we had “dressing” on Thanksgiving! We’ve never added the chicken soup either, momma always used the broth from the turkey necks & gizzards that she eventually turned into giblet gravy to serve along side the meal (and the dressing of course). It’s still the most favorite part of our Thanksgiving meal. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes and memories with us.
Angelita – I just have to tell you how much your comment means to me. I even shared it with my Facebook followers. It’s comments like yours that keep bloggers like me going when we’re not sure whether it’s worth all the time, cost, and effort. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
This recipe for dressing is very similar to the one that I make, however, we LOVE the flavor of sage…therefore, I not only use the poultry seasoning but also the sage…and quite a lot more celery and onion and raw eggs. I have never added the cream of chicken soup, but am sure it would be good! I also use the broth straight off my cooked turkey when I make it…if need be, I supplement the recipe with the Swanson’s Chicken Broth! Love ALL your recipes…keep them comin’ :)
Our church had it’s Christmas Luncheon today and I asked who made the stuffin’. Blank looks. I was told the Yankie in me came out (was born in NY but raised in South). That in the South, it’s called dressing. In the North, it’s stuffing. Who knew! So I came home looking for a cornbread DRESSING recipe and came across this page and the comments on stuffing vs dressing. Too funny!
This is the best cornbread dressing ever! I tried so many other recipes and then found this one. This will be my third year making it. The only thing I do differently is use Trader Joe’s cornbread mix instead of making my own egg bread. It still turns out great!
I’m so glad y’all like it, Tracey! I made my cornbread yesterday and I’m just about ready to get in the kitchen and mix up the dressing. It’s always the star of the table here on Thanksgiving.
Can I prepare this the night before then bake the next day? Just want to make sure it doesn’t soak up all my “wet” ingredients and end up gooey the next day … This recipe looks so much like what my mom used to make .. but we never got her recipe perfected. Thank you for posting this!!
Debbie – if you make the dressing the day before, I’m pretty sure you’d need to add more broth to it before cooking. The cornbread would really soak it up overnight. What I do is this – the day before I make, cool, and crumble the cornbread and store it in a large zip bag. I also saute the onions and celery, cool that and store in the fridge overnight. On Thanksgiving I mix everything together and bake it off. Just takes a few minutes to put together.
This is almost just like my maternal grandmother’s dressing. We always eat it a bit soupy, though, instead of firm. My husband grew up on regular cornbread dressing, and he is still a little creeped out by the eggbread, but this type of dressing is deeeelicious! I have the challenge today and tomorrow of trying to create a cornbread dressing that is more firm like my other grandmother used to make. Wish me luck :)
Good luck!
wheres the sage?????
It’s included in the poultry seasoning. We don’t like much sage in our dressing, Vicky, so that little bit works just fine. You can add as much as you like.
i love this.. this is almost the same way my mama made it and i do now.
I was raised in the south..although moved several times away and still love this type of southern cooking! Your site brought me back to when i was younger..thank you for this!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember why we can celebrate our freedom!!
Thanks be to our Lord!