Cornbread Dressing Recipe
This Southern cornbread dressing is made entirely from scratch using homemade cornbread, sautéed onions and celery, and fresh sage. It's moist and savory, a must-have side for your Thanksgiving table.
Servings: 10
Calories: 332kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 2 cups cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Cornbread Dressing
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ to 2½ cups unsalted chicken stock or turkey stock
- ½ cup milk
- 1 batch cornbread around 6-7 cups, dried and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 3 cups white bread 4-5 slices, dried and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Make the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Combine, pour into a greased pan, and bake 20–25 minutes until golden. Cool completely, ideally a day ahead.
- Dry the bread: Cube the cornbread and white bread, spread on baking sheets, and dry in a 275°F oven for 15–20 minutes (or leave out overnight).
- Sauté: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and celery until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Combine: In a large bowl, toss the cubed bread with the sautéed vegetables. Add the beaten eggs and milk, then stir in the stock a cup at a time until evenly moist but not soggy.
- Bake: Transfer to a greased 9x13-inch dish and bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until golden and set. Rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Chicken Stock: Omit the added salt if using regular chicken stock instead of unsalted. Add the stock gradually, stopping when the mixture is very moist but not wet.
Timing: For the best results this cornbread dressing takes a little bit of planning. I recommend making the cornbread 1-2 days ahead to give it time to dry out.
Then prepare the dressing mixture the night before you want to serve it. Refrigerate the unbaked stuffing to allow time for the flavors to meld and the liquids to distribute.
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and let it come to room temperature. Then bake as directed.
Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g