Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe (2024)

By Kim Severson

Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe (1)

Total Time
1½ hours, plus 8 hours for drying out cornbread
Rating
4(383)
Notes
Read community notes

Cornbread dressing is an intensely personal thing. In the American South, at least, everybody’s grandmother had a recipe, and everyone knows just how it should be made. This is a base model with a few variations. It’s nice to let it chill overnight before baking so the flavors meld. But you don’t have to. The key is really good stock, though plenty of cooks over the years have made it with whatever was on hand — even water in a pinch. This is food for sustenance. But it pays to use the best ingredients possible. Be sure to leave enough time — the cornbread needs to sit out overnight to harden slightly before you make the dressing.

Featured in: How I Mastered the Art (and Politics) of Cornbread Dressing

Learn: How to Cook a Turkey

Learn: How to Make Stuffing

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For the Cornbread

    • 4tablespoons/56 grams butter
    • 2cups/340 grams yellow cornmeal, fine grind (use the freshest, best quality you can find)
    • teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • 2eggs
    • 2cups/473 milliliters buttermilk, preferably full fat

    For the Dressing

    • 3cups soft white bread, crust removed and torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (do not pack)
    • ½cup butter (1 stick), plus more for the pan
    • 2cups chopped sweet onions
    • cups chopped celery (4 or 5 stalks)
    • teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2eggs
    • tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
    • 1teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
    • ¾teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 to 5cups rich chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

379 calories; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 672 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Make the cornbread: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put butter in an 11-inch skillet. Cast-iron is best here, but any ovenproof skillet will do. Heat butter in oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until butter has melted and is just starting to brown.

  2. Step

    2

    While butter melts, whisk together cornmeal, salt and baking powder. In another small bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add buttermilk and stir until mixture is combined. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir well.

  3. Remove hot pan from oven, pour butter into batter and stir until batter looks uniform. Pour batter back into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until the top has begun to just brown.

  4. Step

    4

    Remove cornbread and let it cool on a rack. Tear or cut it into large pieces and place in a large bowl. Let it sit out overnight to dry out slightly.

  5. Step

    5

    Prepare the dressing: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cornbread and white bread in a large bowl, tossing to mix, and breaking cornbread into smaller pieces.

  6. Step

    6

    Melt butter in a large skillet, and add onions, celery and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes.

  7. Step

    7

    Add vegetables to bread mixture and combine. Lightly beat eggs and add to bowl. Sprinkle in herbs, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and toss together.

  8. Step

    8

    Add 4 cups broth and stir well. Using your hands, work the mixture to get a very lumpy, thick, batterlike consistency. Add another cup of stock if needed. The mixture should be very wet and pourable but without standing liquid.

  9. Step

    9

    Butter an 8-by-11-inch baking dish. (Any other ovenproof dish that can hold about 2 quarts will work. A deeper vessel could take longer to bake; a more shallow dish less time.) Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake until dressing puffs slightly and has browned well around the edges, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have drippings from a roasted turkey, spoon some over the top about 30 minutes into the baking time.

Tips

  • To add sausage, brown ¾ pound pork sausage in a pan, crumbling it into small pieces as it cooks. Add to the bread mixture along with the vegetables. Spicy Italian sausage, fresh andouille or spicy Southern-style pork sausage are nice.
  • You can substitute bacon drippings for butter in the cornbread recipe.
  • To include nuts, add 2½ cups of toasted pecans, chopped, to the vegetable and bread mixture.
  • On Thanksgiving, you can add chopped giblets and turkey neck meat to the vegetable and bread mixture, or add shredded leftover turkey for a casserole the next day.

Ratings

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383

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Lance

I strongly recommend reading the article by Kim Severson from which this recipe is drawn. She writes of "schisms," "politics," and indeed the "cultural divide" that is cornbread—and she does so thoughtfully, with refreshing wit, and no manifesto. It takes the recipe far beyond ingredients and teaspoons: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/dining/cornbread-dressing-thanksgiving...

Ami Salk

Great idea to include measurements in grams for the butter and cornmeal; how about doing the same for the other ingredients as well? You say the white bread should measure 3 cups but not to pack - if you specified the weight, we would be sure to get it right. Same thing for the onions and celery. I understand this is not the custom in the US, but once a cook starts weighing ingredients, we see how useful it is, and can never go back.

D P

1. A sweet cornbread person should not give in to the temptation to add sugar--remember that for dressing it will taste wrong.

2. For more consistent hardening, instead of leaving it out overnight to go stale after the cube/tear/crumble step, put the pieces on baking sheets in a warm oven until they are crispy/dry. The pieces will hold up better when they get mixed, instead of turning to mush.

Jenny Callicott

This is my grandmother's recipe with a couple of wonderful changes.

the cornbread, bread mixture should also include some crumbled homemade buttermilk biscuits... 6 or 7... adjust liquid for additional breads, but not too soggy.....you won't believe the difference in texture and flavor.

TriciaPDX

When I make cornbread I use yellow cornmeal and, in place of AP flour, masa harina: gluten free and intense corn flavor. The masa keeps the cornbread from crumbling into tiny crumbs which works well both for dressing and for eating with beans or chicken.

Lisa

This is actually very close to what I make (my mother's recipe from her mother) but use poultry seasoning instead of the other herbs. Thank you for NOT including flour in your cornbread as many do. My only modification now is for my gluten-intolerant husband and I leave out the white bread. I usually make 2 pans: one regular and one with oysters.

Lance

Yep! Just follow the standard quick-curdling method to give your non-dairy milk the buttermilk tang you're seeking: 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar per 1 cup of milk. So, for this recipe, you'd use 2 tablespoons vinegar, add it to the 2 cups of non-dairy milk, stir, and then let it sit for about 10 minutes before using.

Donaflor

Yes! This is pretty close to what I've made for over thirty years. Living in TN, adding pork sausage is important. Chopped pecans. And chopped apple (I make a ton of dressing, so I use one Fugi and one Granny Smith). My grandmother used crumbled Soda crackers, stale biscuits ( b/c nothing was wasted), and a several slices of Wonder Bread, because it "helps build strong bodies twelve ways".

RBM

My southern grandmother made a variation on this. Use a bit less liquid so that the cornbread mixture holds together. Form into small patties (pones) about the size of a small burger. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet or griddle and cook the pones until done. Crunchy exterior, moist and flavorful inside. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Break open with a fork and ladle gible gravy over it.

Ozark

Then again, I also disagree with the author's recommendation for "fine grind" cornmeal.

LukeNash

Never would use yellow cornmeal. Traditionally yellow corn was reserved to feed the hogs while white corn was preferred for human consumption. As a result, white cornmeal was the cornmeal of choice for Sunday dinner and special occasions.

Nancy

So much like my mother-in-law's recipe--a family favorite. When the turkey is done, I spoon some drippings over the casserole dish of stuffing before putting it in the oven to heat. It makes a delicious crust and tastes as if it's been cooked in the bird.

Marianl

This is mostly how my Georgia grandmother made dressing, with the exception of adding, as another commenter notes, biscuits to the cornbread and "lightbread" mixture. My notes from her also made no mention of first sautéeing the onions & I'm pretty sure she didn't. She added only salt & pepper. Good, but I was wanting a little more flavor without going too wild, which I think this recipe will help with. (I will not, however, be making my cornbread with butter!)

Melissa

This is very similar to the dressing our family makes. We wait until last to add the eggs giving everyone a chance to taste then put their two cents in on the amount of sage added!

Donaflor

My grandmother always made a separate pan of dressing that had oysters in it b/c she liked it, tho' no one else in the family did...

Chodo

Perfect expression of traditional Southern cornbread dressing. After years of guessing what my mama and grandma did, this recipe delivered their best. NOTE: add 1-2 cans of green chili. Adds moisture and wonderful flavor.

SK

If you grew up in the South, both Thanksgiving and Christmas included cornbread dressing. My wife has her mother's recipe, which was also her grandmother's, written in cursive on an index card that is itself is a family heirloom. The aroma of her cooking up the celery and onions means the holiday has arrived. We always make enough for leftovers that can be a meal unto itself.

Eric Fletcher

Although not traditional, I have started to add finely sliced leeks to saute along with the onions and celery. I find the leek melts into the mixture to provide reinforcement to the allium flavor. I also add some milk or heavy cream to the dressing mixture as well, just like my Mother and Grandmother always did.

Scott M

Why kosher salt? Which brand? There are significant differences among brands. It would be a lot more straightforward to drop the pretension and use regular, reliable table salt. As far as I know, volumetric measurements of table salt require no adjustment for brand. Or there could be a weight as well as a volume so we don't need to guess.

Kim A

This is very close to my mother’s cornbread dressing. The only differences she didn’t have fresh sage which makes this recipe better. Lastly, instead of taking the butter mixture from the skillet and pouring it into the batter she poured the batter directly into the iron skillet and that is what I did and it worked perfect. Btw true southern cornbread (without flour) like this one is never going to rise super tall, but it is still outstanding.

apm thoughts

Don’t need so much salt

apm thoughts

Mixed everything in wok

becca

Closest to my great grandmothers recipe I’ve ever seen written down. Add a tsp or so of poultry seasoning and don’t skip the fresh sage if you’re able, no one in the family had ever used it before and it truly elevated the dish. Happy thanksgiving!

Charlene Hazelton

I made Kim's Southern Cornbread Dressing and I had trouble with the cornbread recipe. It came out flat. I read another comment that said the same thing. Perhaps it needed more baking powder. But now the deed is done and what can I do to fix my dressing. Everything's good Except it's very gritty. Thinking I need more bread. Maybe some buttermilk. Eggs and stock/gravy.Suggestions?

Faerol

This is my grandmother's recipe but elevated with the fresh herbs - SO YUMMY!! Thanks for taking her dressing to the next level. Our family thanks you -

PonderThis

Now this is so, so close to what my mother/grandmother made without a recipe. I like that she used "dressing" and I guess it really is a southern thing.

thanksgiving modifications

3 eggs (not 2)2.5-3 cups stock (not 4-5)3 teaspoons better than bullion

Caroline Brown

White bread produces a slimy and truly disgusting dressing. There is no reason to ever use white bread for dressing and less reason to contaminate an otherwise delicious cornbread dressing by adding white bread to it. Yuk. And putting eggs in it is peculiar. As a born and bred southerner, the best dressing for turkey is always made with cornbread. Cornbread, onions, celery, mushrooms if you like them, chicken broth, seasonings, and you've got it. Dried cranberries are a nice addition.

Adam

So I took a hint from another tip and subbed homemade biscuits in for the white bread. Little extra effort, but MAN, it was good. I also used some local to me (New Orleans) andouille. I'd never actually had stuffing I liked until this. Thanks so much!

Sunsun5

Bacon grease added a robust flavor. I think it would be bland without it. Also, 450 degrees for 20 minutes is too high. I left it at 450 for 10 minutes and dropped the oven temperature to 350. It was nice as crispy on the outside.

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Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do Southerners put sugar in cornbread? ›

Sugar Is Optional

Whether to include sugar or not in a southern cornbread recipe is an issue for debate. We've included as an option a tablespoon which just intensifies the flavor of the cornmeal; it doesn't make the cornbread sweet. The choice is yours as to whether or not to include it.

How moist should dressing be before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much.

What is the difference between cornbread stuffing and cornbread dressing? ›

So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish. Additionally, dressing, especially in the American South, is often made with cornbread instead of pieces of a baguette or plain ol' white bread.

What is the difference between Yankee cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

While both styles generally use the same ingredients -- cornmeal, flour, eggs, and baking powder -- the variance lies in the flavor and texture. Northern-style cornbread tends to be sweeter, moister, and cake-like compared to its Southern counterpart.

Why is southern cornbread not sweet? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

What is the difference between southern cornbread and sweet cornbread? ›

In contrast to the dryer, less-sweet nature of Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread is much more cakey and sweet. Indeed, colonial Americans made their cornbread with molasses to sweeten it. Also, Northern cornbread sometimes uses milk rather than buttermilk.

Should you put egg in your stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

Why does my stuffing come out mushy? ›

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush.

Why is my cornbread dressing mushy? ›

One potential reason for gummy cornbread dressing could be using cornbread that is too moist. It's best to use cornbread that has been left out overnight or is slightly stale to ensure a drier texture.

Do black people call it stuffing or dressing? ›

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.

How long can uncooked cornbread dressing stay in fridge? ›

A great make-ahead recipe: You can make this Thanksgiving side dish up to a day in advance, and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. The leftovers are good for up to 4 days so you can enjoy leftover cornbread dressing with your turkey leftovers the next day.

What is the best cornmeal to buy to make cornbread? ›

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

What is cornbread called in the South? ›

Corn pones are a staple of Southern U.S. cuisine and have been discussed or referenced by many American writers, including Mark Twain.

What is cornbread and milk called? ›

Also referred to as “crumble-in,” this hearty snack of cornbread doused in milk is beloved among communities in the Southern United States, stretching from Appalachian West Virginia to the heart of Texas.

Did cornbread originally have sugar? ›

Early cornbread consisted of cornmeal, water, and salt and was baked over a fire or in a hearth. Without milk, eggs, or sugar, early versions of the bread were quite different than what we eat today, but they offered a vital source of energy.

Does cornbread mix have sugar in it? ›

Sugar provides color in baked foods, so food companies will almost always include it. Truly sugar-less cornbreads are often not as golden and brown as ones with some sugar.

Do Southerners put sugar in grits? ›

So far, it seems as if the addition of sugar is often attributed to descendants of those who moved away from the South during migrations following the Civil War, while savory grits lovers have immediate ties to that part of the country.

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