Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing (With Make-Ahead Tips)
on Jan 09, 2025
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Homemade crumbled cornbread, aromatic veggies, and chicken broth are the main ingredients in this delicious cornbread dressing! With the savory flavors and perfect texture, this Southern-style cornbread dish is sure to be a favorite.
Cornbread dressing is a Southern staple! This delicious side-dish is full of savory, fresh flavors that balance each other perfectly. The middle of the dressing is soft and moist, with a golden brown crust on top. I love that this recipe is made entirely from scratch but it is still easy to follow and the results are beyond comparison.
Each bite of this cornbread dressing is packed with flavor and will melt in your mouth. Although this is a common dish during the holidays, this recipe is so delicious you will find yourself making it year round!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Cornbread Dressing Recipe
- Made-From-Scratch: This isn’t your generic packaged cornbread mix — it’s a completely-from-scratch recipe with a flavor and perfect texture that you just can’t get from a box. And it’s SO easy, too!
- Perfect Texture: I think this recipe delivers the ideal texture combination that makes cornbread dressing so crave-worthy: a moist, tender interior that melts in your mouth with a golden-brown, slightly crispy top. The precise ratio of liquid ingredients to cornbread is important so that it never turns out dry or soggy.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The recipe is designed with busy cooks in mind. You can prep the cornbread up to two days in advance and the vegetables the day before. This makes it perfect for holiday meals when kitchen time is at a premium or a Sunday batch cooking session of dinners for the upcoming week!
🍽️ I heart all the cornbread recipes and different ways of using it so I’ll often have a cornbread-style side dish with our dinners!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Cornbread:
- Cornmeal — Self-rising cornmeal provides a nice fluffy texture!
- Eggs
- Milk — I like using whole milk for the moisture level.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Butter
- Baking Powder — In addition to the self-rising cornmeal!
- Granulated Sugar
For the Dressing:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow Onion
- Butter
- Chicken Broth
- Spices — ground sage, salt, and black pepper
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
While I think this classic recipe is perfect as is, here are some delicious ways to customize your cornbread dressing:
- Add 1 cup of crumbled, cooked breakfast sausage for a heartier version
- Incorporate ½ cup of finely diced bell peppers for extra color and flavor
- Use fresh herbs instead of dried – triple the amount if using fresh sage
- For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth
- Add ½ cup of chopped pecans for an extra yummy crunch and nutty flavor
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
Step 1: Preheat your oven. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, and milk, whisking until well combined.
Step 2: Gently whisk in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and sugar until the wet and dry ingredients are smooth.
Step 3: Pour the cornbread batter into a pan and bake until golden brown
Step 4: While the cornbread is baking, prepare the dressing component by melting the other stick of butter in a large pan. Add the diced veggies, sage, salt, and pepper and let them cook until soft. Set aside.
Step 5: Remove the cornbread from the oven, use a spoon to break it up, and transfer it to a mixing bowl with the veggie mixture, chicken broth, and eggs.
Step 6: Mix the ingredients until incorporated and pour into a large dish. Bake the dressing until golden brown on top.
Recipe FAQs
I like to use self-rising cornmeal because it has leavening agents and salt already combined which can add a nice, fluffy texture to the cornmeal. It is also perfect for absorbing the chicken broth and eggs! However, if you only have regular cornmeal you can use that instead and add an extra ½ tablespoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients.
Yes, it is a good idea to allow the cornbread to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan and adding it to the dressing. This is so that the cornbread will hold together better as it is combined into the dressing mixture. Of course you will crumble it into the mixture, but you will still want to have small sized chunks of cornbread for a nice texture. If you allow it to cool for a few minutes, it will also allow the cornbread to soak up plenty of the flavor from the chicken broth and other ingredients!
You will be able to tell the cornbread dressing is fully cooked when the top is golden brown, the center is set, and a toothpick can be inserted and come out with only a few dry crumbs. If you gently move or shake the pan and the cornbread is still jiggly, that means there is too much moisture beneath the top layer. If the top looks done but the center is not, you can cover the top with tin foil to keep it from browning too much until the center is set!
Expert Tips
- Smooth Batter: You will want the cornbread batter to be smooth so that it will cook nicely! Make sure there are no clumps in the batter before baking.
- No Coating Needed: Since you are going to crumble the cornbread, don’t worry about coating the pan in butter or nonstick cooking spray. If it sticks a little bit, it won’t be that big of a deal!
- Onion Flavoring: The yellow onion in this dish will add a bit of sweetness that will compliment the cornbread, but you can use white onion as well!
- Pre-Bake Texture: The cornbread dressing batter should be fairly runny before it goes into the oven! This will prevent the dressing from becoming dry.
How to Serve and Store Cornbread Dressing
Serving Ideas: Cornbread dressing is a delicious and filling side that pairs well with many hearty main dishes! This dish is a classic side for Thanksgiving with a turkey dinner, mashed potatoes, and any roasted vegetables.
But, you can also serve cornbread dressing with a honey-glazed ham, roast beef, meatloaf, or grilled chicken. Pouring some gravy over top to serve this cornbread dressing is a must! Don’t be afraid to break out this dish for a plain old weeknight meal.
Storing & Reheating: This cornbread dressing will be best served fresh, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can either cover the pan tightly with tin foil or transfer all of the dressing to an airtight container before placing it in the fridge.
To reheat leftovers, place a plate of dressing in the microwave for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through.
Make-Ahead Tips
Want to get ahead on your holiday prep or make this dressing for a busy weeknight dinner? This cornbread dressing can be partially prepared in advance!
Bake Cornbread Ahead: You can make the cornbread up to 2 days before assembling the final dish. Simply let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature. (This is why our grandma’s generation used leftover cornbread for making a dressing the next day!)
Prep Vegetables: You can also prep your vegetables the day before – store the diced carrots, celery, and onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make the dressing, just proceed with sautéing the vegetables and combining all ingredients as directed.
Keeping It Warm: An extra tip for making ahead is to bake the dressing as instructed and then keep it warm until serving time by placing it in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting for buffet-style serving.
Troubleshooting Guide
Is your cornbread dressing not turning out quite right? Here are solutions to common issues I’ve dealt with over the many years of making dressing recipes:
- If the dressing is too dry: Add an extra ½ cup of warm chicken broth before baking
- If it’s too wet: Bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes
- If the top is browning too quickly: Cover with foil after the first 30 minutes of baking
- If the texture is too dense: Make sure you’re not overworking the cornbread when crumbling it. Just get it crumbled, leaving some chunks a bit bigger than others, and combine only until incorporated with the vegetables and wet ingredients.
Other Tasty Cornbread Recipes to Try
Cornbread Recipes
Crispy Cornbread Fritters: A Simple Southern Delight
Pancake Recipes
Stack ‘Em High: Golden Cornbread Pancakes
Cornbread Recipes
The Best Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe (Easy & Moist!)
Cornbread Recipes
Easy Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe – Ready in 30 Minutes!
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
Ingredients (Cornbread):
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
Ingredients (Dressing):
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ tablespoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, and milk. Whisk the ingredients together until homogenous.
- Gently whisk in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and sugar until the wet and dry ingredients are smooth and homogenous. Make sure there are no clumps in your batter.
- Pour the cornbread batter into an 8×8 inch pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the cornbread is baking, prepare the dressing component by melting the other stick of butter in a large pan or skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the diced veggies, sage, salt, and pepper to the pan.
- Stir the veggies frequently and let them cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and use a spoon to break it up. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Add the veggie mixture, chicken broth, and remaining eggs to the cornbread. Combine the ingredients until incorporated and then pour into a large dish.
- Bake your dressing for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown on top and no longer jiggly in the middle.
- Let your cornbread dressing cool on the counter for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Since you are going to crumble the cornbread, don’t worry about coating your pan in butter or nonstick cooking spray. If it sticks a little bit it won’t be that big of a deal.
- I like to use self-rising flour since it helps give your cornbread a fluffy texture, perfect for absorbing the chicken broth and eggs. However, if you only have regular cornmeal you can use that instead and add and extra ½ tablespoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients.
- The yellow onion is going to add some sweetness to the dish that will compliment the cornbread, but you can use a white onion as well!
- Make sure that your cornbread dressing is set when you pull it out of the oven. If it is still jiggly then there is too much moisture beneath the top layer. If the top looks done but the dish is still jiggly you can cover the top with tin foil to keep it from browning too much.
