The Best Cornbread Dressing (and How to Make It Before Thanksgiving)
My Grandmother’s famous Southern cornbread dressing is moist, flavorful, make ahead, and freezer friendly. It is the most important side dish on any Thanksgiving table, and this recipe is DIVINE!
My Grand made the BEST cornbread dressing.
This cornbread dressing recipe is what my Grand Pinion made every Thanksgiving all the years she was here. This dressing was my FAVORITE thing…..I looked forward to it more than anything else. Grand didn’t follow a recipe, but she let my mom watch her make the dressing and write everything down. So….here is the cherished recipe along with tips on making it BEFORE Thanksgiving.
Is cornbread dressing the same as stuffing?
The main difference between cornbread dressing and stuffing is how each one is cooked. Stuffing is cooked inside of another food before cooking. For Thanksgiving, you’ll find that stuffing is usually cooked inside the cavity of a bird, most commonly turkey, duck, roaster, or Cornish game hens. On the other hand, dressing is cooked in a baking pan or casserole dish.
What is the best broth for cornbread stuffing?
Some cooks use turkey drippings to make dressing, but most cooks rely on chicken broth or chicken stock. My recipe calls for chicken broth that my Grand taught us to “doctor” a bit with a few bouillon cubes. That makes the broth richer and tastier! There are several ways to make a plain box of chicken broth taste better.
- Chicken bouillon cubes. Add one or two to a carton of broth.
- Chicken bouillon base (i.e. Better Than Bouillon). Add a tablespoon or two to the chicken broth; heat and stir to dissolve.
- Bone broth. You can add a small can or carton of chicken bone broth for extra richness.
This recipe uses 3 different breads.
This cornbread dressing includes 3 types of bread: biscuits, cornbread, and white bread. These dry ingredients are the foundation of dressing. Making these different breads is the most time-consuming part of cornbread dressing. You can save time by making the breads over the course of a few days and storing them until time to make the dressing. Below are the specific types of bread you will use.
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- Biscuits. Homemade biscuits are great (if you make biscuits). I use frozen buttermilk or Southern style biscuits. Canned biscuits are a definite NO:-)
- Cornbread. I use this recipe. Homemade Southern cornbread will make the best dressing, as it is made with cornmeal, buttermilk, and lots of butter.
- White bread. You can use sliced white bread or hamburger/hotdog buns.
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Make the 3 breads ahead of time.
Making the breads is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but it can be done ahead. Simply make the cornbread and biscuits. Allow them to cool, and crumble or process them into crumbs. Allow the bread to get stale a few hours or overnight; crumble or process into crumbs. You can make the crumbs a day or two ahead and store in the fridge, or you can make a few weeks ahead and freeze.
Why you need day-old bread.
All 3 breads should be a day old and a bit dry/stale. If you use freshly baked cornbread or biscuits, they will be hot and soft, and the dressing won’t firm up like it should and might be soggy. I bake the biscuits and make my Southern buttermilk cornbread the night before and let them sit overnight (loosely covered with a clean dishcloth). Be sure NOT to put the freshly baked breads in a plastic bag, as they will sweat and become moist. Note: If you don’t have a day to let the breads get stale, you can refrigerate them for a few hours, or you can slightly overbake them so that they are dry.
Traditional ingredients in Southern dressing.
The first and most important ingredient in Southern dressing is bread, and this recipe calls for three: cornbread, biscuits, and stale white bread. Other traditional ingredients include chopped celery and onion, which give both flavor and a slight crunch (from the celery). Sage is a KEY ingredient in giving dressing its flavor, so make sure to have that on hand. The poultry seasoning is also important and adds a unique flavor. Every Fall, I make sure that my sage and poultry seasoning jars are fresh by checking the expiration date. It is worth it to have fresh seasonings for something as important as Thanksgiving dressing.
Make the dressing ahead of time.
Make the dressing up to the point of baking and then refrigerate or freeze it (uncooked). Here are the guidelines for refrigerating vs freezing the dressing.
- Make ahead and refrigerate: Make up to 2 days ahead and store, covered and uncooked, in the fridge. Bake the day you plan to serve it.
- Make ahead and freeze: Make up to one month ahead; cover well and freeze. Thaw in the fridge 2-3 days before you plan to cook it.
How thick should cornbread dressing be before baking?
The thickness of cornbread dressing can be tweaked as you mix by adding broth to thin as needed. If you prefer cornbread dressing that is on the dry side, use less broth. If you like moist dressing, use more broth. This is where personal preference comes in. I like mine to be a bit on the moist side. My mixture is usually pourable from the bowl into a baking dish.
Watch me make the cornbread dressing.
I SO hope this cornbread dressing is part of your Thanksgiving meal. If so, please let me hear from you in the comments below. As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!
The Best Cornbread Dressing
My Grand's cornbread dressing recipe and how to make it BEFORE Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 1 large skillet cornbread*
- 5 or 6 slices of white bread, stale
- 6-8 biscuits, baked
- 1 onion, processed finely
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 carton chicken broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
Instructions
Breads
- Process all 3 breads into crumbs (fine to medium).
- Store in an airtight bag; freeze or refrigerate until ready to make the dressing.
Broth
- Measure out several cups of broth/stock.
- Crumble bouillon cubes into broth/stock.
- Heat to boiling; stir to dissolve.
Dressing
- Toss all bread crumbs together in a large bowl.
- Add onion, celery, soup, spices, and eggs; stir well.
- Add broth in stages until desired consistency.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 247Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 52mgSodium 881mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 7g
I’ve heard of some using boiled eggs but that is not for me! I’m more “simple” with my dressing!!
Awww I love this!!! Thank you for your sweet words and for reaching out!!!
This is so similar to my mom’s it made me
Smile. Thank you for posting and for
The hints. Greatly appreciated.
Exactly the way I make it except I add chopped boiled eggs instead of raw. Anyone ever used boiled eggs.
Thank you for reaching out, Ken!!! Isn’t it great that we are able to make recipes shared with us by our grandmother’s? Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!!
I make mine similar to this, except for a couple of the spices my grandmother didn’t use. I use her recipe without the soup, buillion cubes and I use chicken broth. Turns out the way I remember from my youth and I’m almost 70 now. Keep up the good work. (Note: I use bread but not biscuits).
Hi Ann! It sounds like our grandmother’s had similar recipes. Isn’t it wonderful to be able to cook something they shared with us growing up? Blessings to you and yours!!!
loved reading your recipe……almost identical to the recipe my siblings and I use…..passed down from our grandmothers and our mother…..the amounts may differ ….but we make our cornbread …….our biscuits…..and use hot dog buns……
the only thing different is we add some finely minced giblets (actually meat from stewed leg/thigh parts) and shredded apple (use a box grater)……..the apple helps keep it moist…..we gather the Sat. before Thanksgiving ….make a large amount and divide to each home…..
I am so glad this is helpful, Dede!!! You can make ahead and freeze the crumbs, and then make the dressing itself 2-3 days ahead. You can freeze the dressing but this way is easier in my opinion!!!!
I am so glad to know
That your grandmother froze her dressing as I was wondering how on earth I could prepare an entire Thanksgiving dinner as I have RA snd it takes me a little more time than normal. If I get anxious, my condition gets worse, so I was looking for ways to help me.
Thank you so very much for this recipe.
Hi Marian, I made all my breads/let them sit out a day and froze in a gallon ziplock! I am sure a food saver would work but not necessary for this short length of time IF you use a freezer ziplock. I used half a loaf of white bread about 7-8 pieces. You can sub buns for white bread. Hope you enjoy!!! BTW….if you are on instagram follow @family_savvy….I am making this on all my stories and doing a live this week to put it all tougher for the freezer!!
If I make the cornbread and biscuits now and let them get stale for a day then I crumble, what is the best way to freeze? I have food saver. Would that work? Also, how many biscuits and hamburger buns for your recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Teia! I made the dressing two weeks ago, and I froze it before baking (and raw eggs were in the mix). You are perfectly fine to freeze the dressing per the recipe. Just make it to the point of baking, but do not bake. Either refrigerate (up to 2 days ahead) or freeze (up to 3 weeks ahead). When ready to cook, thaw dressing in the fridge a day or two before baking, and bake @350 until bubbly. It will be perfect!!!
Your dressing recipe looks amazing. I’m going to make it for my family this Thanksgiving. When making ahead to freeze can you add the raw eggs?
I’m enjoying your Instagram and blog. Thanks for sharing .
Hi Denise! Grand didn’t measure, but I made this cornbread https://www.familysavvy.com/the-best-recipe-for-cornbread-in-a-cast-iron-skillet/, tore apart 5-6 hot dog buns, and baked 6 biscuits. As long as you stay in this general range, you will be fine. Remember, you will add chicken broth/stock to the bread crumbs until you get to the desired consistency. If you watch the video in my blog post you can see how thick mine was. Hope this helps!!
Would you please measure the amount of the cornbread once it’s been through the processor ( as well as the biscuits and white bread once process)?
I want to make sure the consistency is correct.
Thank you!
Rachel~so sorry! 350 degrees F….just edited the recipe. Thanks!!
Bake at what temperature?
Oh I remember your sweet grandmother!!! So happy this recipe is similar to hers! Grandmother’s always had the best recipes:-)
Thank you for this recipe! It looks delicious!
It is similar to my grandmother JuJu’s recipe. I love the sage!