Homemade Cornbread Dressing
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This homemade cornbread dressing is a Southern style side dish I make with crumbled cornbread, sauteed vegetables, and a creamy chicken veloute. It is savory, comforting, and the perfect addition to any holiday table.
Growing up in Detroit, we called it stuffing whether it was cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish. In the South, if it is not cooked in the bird, it is called dressing. I honestly could care less what you call it because it is incredible either way. If you are looking for more holiday side dishes, check out my candied yams or cauliflower au gratin.
Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread dressing has been a Southern staple for generations. The origin of this dish can be traced to enslaved people in the South who transformed leftover cornbread into something delicious. The history can actually be traced back to a West African dish known as Kusha, and it has been a cherished part of holiday tables ever since.
Back in the day, I used to work at this French restaurant and we made the most incredible cornbread and chorizo sausage stuffing that we would put inside cornish hens with a little butter honey glaze at the end. That experience taught me how versatile cornbread dressing can be. I start by crumbling up my homemade cornbread and drying it out in the oven with some cubed dinner rolls, then I fold everything together with sauteed onions and celery, chicken veloute, chicken stock, and eggs.
I love that you can also add cooked sausage, shredded turkey, or mushrooms to make it your own. Once you taste my version, every other stuffing recipe will seem incomplete so I hope you give this one a try!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Every ingredient in this cornbread dressing serves a purpose, from building flavor to getting the perfect moist but not soggy texture. Here is what I use:
- Cornbread – I use my classic Southern cornbread recipe with no sugar. Make sure it has no sugar in it, that is not negotiable.
- Dinner Rolls or Biscuits – Cubed into 1 inch pieces to fill in with the cornbread. Stale bread works best. If you do not have any, use 3 cups of breadcrumbs.
- Butter – Whole unsalted butter for sweating the vegetables.
- Onions – Two small to medium yellow onions, small diced. White or sweet onions also work.
- Celery – Three stalks, small diced. This adds a subtle crunch and flavor to the base.
- Poultry Seasoning – I make my own homemade poultry seasoning with sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and nutmeg. Store bought works fine too.
- Chicken Veloute – My homemade veloute makes this dressing incredibly creamy. You can substitute a can of cream of chicken soup.
- Chicken Stock – Homemade roasted chicken stock is best. Add it gradually so the mixture does not get too wet.
- Eggs – Four large eggs whisked together to bind everything.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
Dry the bread: I crumble the cornbread into small pieces and spread it on a parchment lined cookie sheet along with the cubed dinner rolls. I bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes to dry it out.
Sweat the vegetables: While the bread is drying, I melt butter in a large frying pan over low to medium heat and sweat the diced onions and celery for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. It is fine if they get a little brown.
Combine the mixture: I add the dried bread and cooked vegetables to a large bowl along with the veloute, poultry seasoning, and chicken stock. I add the stock gradually, about a cup at a time, so the mixture does not get waterlogged. I season with salt and pepper and taste it at this stage.
Add the eggs: I pour the whisked eggs over the top and fold everything together with a rubber spatula until completely combined. The consistency should be like cream of wheat.
Bake covered: I transfer the mixture to a 13×9 casserole dish, cover it, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Bake uncovered: I remove the foil and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Serve: I remove the cornbread dressing from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This allows it to set up and makes it easier to scoop.
Chef Tip + Notes
The most important thing I can tell you about cornbread dressing is to season and taste it before you add the eggs. Once the raw eggs go in, you cannot taste it anymore. I always say season once, taste twice. Season it, taste it, then season it again if you need to. That step alone is the difference between dressing that is perfectly seasoned and dressing that is flat.
- No sugar in the cornbread: I cannot stress this enough. The cornbread for this recipe should not have any sugar in it. Sweet cornbread will throw off the entire flavor profile of the dressing.
- Add stock gradually: I pour in the chicken stock about a cup at a time and mix between additions. If you add it all at once, the mixture gets soggy and waterlogged. You want it moist but not dripping wet.
- Use stale bread: The older the bread, the better it absorbs the liquid. If your cornbread and rolls are fresh, drying them in the oven is essential.
- Add protein: You can stir in cooked pork sausage, chorizo, shredded turkey, shredded chicken, or sauteed mushrooms before adding the eggs for a heartier version.
Serving Suggestions
This cornbread dressing is the centerpiece of our holiday table every year. I set it right next to the brined smoked turkey and turkey gravy, and it is always the first dish to need a refill. My wife makes sure there is enough for leftovers because everyone in the family wants to take some home.
Beyond the holidays, I also make this alongside a roast leg of lamb or with a simple roasted chicken for Sunday dinner. It pairs great with creamy potatoes au gratin and homemade cranberry sauce. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a weekend when you want something worth making, this dressing belongs on the table.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: I make this cornbread dressing up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep it covered and warm at low temperature in the oven until ready to serve.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of dressing to a casserole dish, drizzle on a quarter to a third cup of chicken stock, and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through.
More Holiday Recipes
Video
Homemade Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cornbread recipe
- 6 dinner rolls or biscuits, cut into 1” cubes
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 peeled and small diced small to medium-size yellow onions
- 3 small-diced celery stalks
- 1 ½ tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 cups chicken velouté
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 whisked large eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°.
- Crumble the cornbread using your fingers until it breaks apart into very small pieces. Transfer to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper along with the cubed rolls and spread out.
- Bake in the oven at 300° for 30 minutes to help dry it out.
- In the meantime, add the butter to a large frying pan over low to medium heat and sweat the onions and celery for about 10 to 12 minutes while occasionally stirring. It’s ok if they get a little brown. Set aside once done.
- When the bread is done drying out a bit, add it to a large bowl along with the cooked vegetables, poultry seasoning, velouté, chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and gently mix until combined. Be sure to taste it to see if you need any more salt and pepper.
- Pour in the whisked eggs and again gently mix them together until it is combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 13×9 casserole dish, cover it, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve.
Made this for the first time. It went over very well. Loved the flavor. Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.