So, last week I posted a question on Facebook to ask what your must-have Thanksgiving sides were. I posted that mine was Cornbread Dressing. Several folks asked for my family recipe. I jumped over to the blog to grab my recipe to realize that I’ve actually never shared my recipe. I’ve got a recipe for Bacon Mushroom Cornbread Dressing, but have never posted the simple and easy recipe my family uses year after year. So, please excuse my error and take a gander at this…
This is the recipe my family has used forever. It’s simple, easy, calls for just a few ingredients and in keeping with my family’s particular tradition, doesn’t include any sage. Now, if you just HAVE to have sage in there, just add it. NO biggie.
And because getting the consistency right before you bake it is really importnat for the texture of the finished product, I even included the cornbread recipe we use to make the dressing. It’s really no fail using these two recipes.
A couple things to keep in mind…
The mixture should seem pretty soupy when your pour it into the baking dish. If it’s not, it’s going to end up dry. Add more broth if you think you need it.
Don’t like onions? Feel free to leave them out. Want the flavor of onion without the crunch? Just run them through the food chopper or blender before adding them.
And when it comes to the salt and pepper, feel free to taste it and add it to your liking. Since there are no eggs in the recipe, there’s no harm in grabbing a taste. It’s actually one of my favorite things to do at Thanksgiving. I just love to grab a spoonful right before it goes into the oven. Y’all enjoy!
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 7 cups crumbled cornbread use recipe below
- 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of celery soup
- 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 13X9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the cornbread, cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, broth, onions, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes minutes or until golden brown.
Easy Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for coating skillet
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil. Place the skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Stir until smooth.
- Once the oven has preheated, carefully remove the skillet and pour the batter into the skillet. Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Hi Stacey,
My dressing is like my mothers,,a half cornbread and half bread cubes, I use chopped onion ,green pepper chopped and a few tender ribs of celery sauteed in butter just until soft. Then they go in to the pan of cornbread and bread cubes. A boiled egg is chopped up and it goes into it also. The the seasoning of poultry seasoning is sprinkled in until the taste is right and then the chicken broth goes in and every thing is stirred to blend. Then it is baked until the edges and top are slightly toasted and crunchy,
Sounds great, Julia! 🙂
Perfect!! (Yes – no boxed stuffing!!!)
You know we have to have our dressing! 🙂
Hi Mary Penton Happy Thanksgiving! Penton is not a common name and I always looking for relatives because I’m a Penton too.
Camden folks think alike! Ours is basically the same recipe with a few differences. A bit though that travel from a friend’s mom is to let the cornbread cool completely before mixing or the dressing is “gummy”! I’m enjoying your recipes a lot!
Thanks, Judy! Yes, I prefer making my cornbread the day before.
Your recipe is much like mine. I do add the celery precooked with the onion. I do add about 1/3 cup melted butter in with my broth for a touch of added flavor. Sometimes I will add some finely shredded chicken to my dressing when I cook it to get homemade broth. Don’t forget the gravy and cranberry sauce to go with it.
I recently read a recipe that added celery and onions to the cornbread batter before cooking it. I have not tried it, but sounds like it would add extra flavor.
I just recently heard of that too. Personally, I think it’s genius!
We always had Italian Dressing, that is until I tasted some incredible cornbread dressing at my boyfriends house and spent many years trying to make it, she wouldn’t share her recipe, so practice makes perfect. Now we make both and we have always made the cornbread the day before and precooked in butter the celery and onions and then just added butter and veges to cornbread. I love your recipes and asked for your cookbook for my birthday next month. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Cheryl! And happy early birthday!!
My mother cooked the cornbread a day ahead of preparation. She used onions, celery, dried sage to taste, salt and pepper, beaten eggs. She used chicken broth; in those days or some turkey broth. it was unheard of to use any kind of cream of soup in the mixture. She felt that cooking the cornbread the day before helped it to dry out some. On occasion, she would use some stale bread if there was a shortage of the cornbread. I do recall that when she poured it into the baking dish, it was a little soupy, but then congealed when it was cooked. We referred to it as ‘dressing’ because it was not ‘stuffed’ into the turkey. (This would have been in the 1950’s)
Yes! We often use turkey broth depending on the cooking method.
Very much like my Gma’s. She used to complain about not getting “good” sage anymore! She would also freeze any leftover biscuits (if any) and the heels of bread. No boiled eggs or cream of anything soup. She wanted the juices from the Turkey.
Dressing sounds great. I use my MIL’s recipe which is similar to yours “except” she used Saltine Crackers (to a 1/2 recipe of cornbread, add 1/2 sleeve crackers). She also used the cream soups, gr. onions and celery. Also, she added a couple of raw eggs and a couple of cooked eggs. Very good – I still use it today !!
By the way, I just found your site and am finding some great recipes. Thanks for sharing with us !!
Hi Sharon! That sounds great! Welcome, welcome! I hope you’ll find lots here you enjoy!
How many pans of cornbread do I need to make to have the 7 cups for the dressing recipe?
It honestly depends on your cornbread recipe. I have some that yield about 6.5 cups and other that yield 8. The cornbread recipe here on this page will give you the perfect amount.
Ok thanks. I am using your recipe.
When I make my dressing, I start with cornbread, cooled and crumbled. Then I add chopped scallions (only the greens), cream of celery soup, Lawry’s seasoned salt, sage, poultry seasoning, black pepper and the seasoned broth from the boiled turkey (or chicken) necks, giblets, and livers (basically, just the innards that are in the bag inside of the turkey). I ONLY mix with my hands to make sure the “love” is in it.
Sounds great!!!
I’m confused. On Instagram you called it sweet cornbread dressing. Almost didn’t look. I don’t care for sweet cornbread anything. This looks delicious. Glad I peeked, will have to try.
That word just snuck in there. There’s no sugar in it. 🙂
I make my Stuffing with sage and either oysters or Sausage. I do stuff the turkey. Like it moist when it comes out.
🙂
Thank you so much! I just found my recipe for Thanksgiving! My Mother has made the dressing for as long as I can remember. She is in her 80s now and has had some health issues. Standing and chopping the celery and onions is hard on her. ( I bought her a chopper for that years ago, like I use. She would not use it!😉 ) She asked me last night if I would make the dressing this year! I just read your recipe and have already added it to my grocery list for Thanksgiving. It is the one for me! I never tire of reading, trying, and pinning your recipes. I love your stories that you share, too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just got a new cast iron skillet. This is going to be my new cornbread recipe, too. I grew up eating my Papaw’s homemade cornbread. I know that this will be just as good!
So sweet, Pam! Thanks for your kind words! I sure hope you’ll enjoy this one!
This looks delicious. Can the cornbread be made in the oven? I don’t have a cast iron pan. Thanks
Absolutely! A similarly sized baking pan will work just fine.
My Tennessee grandma has some competition Stacey ! Absolutely delicious !
Oh no! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi, I absolutely love all of your recipes. They are simple and delicious. Have you ever posted a simple gravy for dressing as shown in the picture? I never have giblets as we like ham rather than turkey for Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much!
I haven’t but I’ve had two requests this year, so I’ve added it to my list. 🙂
great website love the receipes
Thanks so much!!
I am enjoying reading your recipes I am going to pick and try some of them with my dressing will let you know how it comes out
Hope y’all enjoy!!
Is it possible to make the dressing the day before and heat it up right before dinner? Is there anything you’d change to make it best for doing that? I am having a hard time figuring out how to manage my oven space/time. I wish I had a second oven just once a year!
Yes, you can absolutely do that! Cover it tightly with foil and reheat then remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or so.
If I forget to add the can of soup and bake thw dressing it and it’s not really moist, can I break it up and add the soup and rebake it?
I don’t see why not. 🙂
Try adding pecans.
Sounds like an interesting addition!!