Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe (2024)

Southern Cornbread Dressing is a Thanksgiving staple – the combination of sweet cornbread and savory sausage is so delicious. The celery and onions add such a wonderful crunch and the creamy soup brings it all together.

Cornbread dressing is a staple on a southern thanksgiving table, but unless you’re from the south, you probably think dressing is what goes on your salad.

Southern Cornbread Dressing is similar to what people in the rest of the country call stuffing, only it is baked in its own pan (not “stuffed” in the turkey – and it is made with a little more of a free spirit.) I like to just take my hands and crumble the cornbread as opposed to cutting it into uniform cubes like I would with stuffing.

A lot of people like to use unsweetened cornbread to make their dressing and I have tried it both ways – we actually loved the flavor of sweet cornbread in the dressing. It took it to a whole new level. Between five of us with a fully loaded table, we almost demolished the dressing. (And the sweet potato casserole.) I have heard that people also love to put hard-boiled eggs in their dressing but that’s not our favorite.

🥘 Ingredients Needed

• A Full-size (13 x 9) Pan of Cornbread – I like to use sweet cornbread (I have a recipe for that here), but some people prefer not to. If you don’t want to make this from scratch, you can use two boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix – prepared as the box suggests but in one large 13 x 9 dish instead of two 8 x 8 dishes. Does that make sense?
• Italian Sausage – I know this seems strange, but the flavors of Italian Sausage really complement this dish!
• Red Onion (diced)
• Celery Stalks (diced)
• Butter (I like to use salted for everything, but unsalted would be fine!)
• Chicken Broth or Turkey Stock
• Cream of Chicken Soup – I have made this with Campbells and the store brand, and both work great!
• Kosher Salt
• Dried Herb Mix – Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Nutmeg, and Marjoram. (You can also use ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning if you keep that on hand.)

🍽 Equipment Needed

• A Skillet
• A 13 x 9 Baking Dish
• A Cutting Board and a Sharp Knife
• Measuring Cups/Spoons
• Mixing Bowls

🥣 How to Make Southern Cornbread Dressing

Here’s how to make Cornbread Dressing. It is pretty easy to make but has a few steps.

The first step is to make cornbread – I like to use either my sweet cornbread recipe (I know, it sounds weird, but it is so good!) or my Southern cornbread recipe – and then let it cool.

• Once the cornbread is ready, cook the Italian Sausage. Once it is cooked, drain off the grease and set it off to the side. (Pictures 1 – 2)
• Then, cook the onion and celery in the butter until the onions are translucent and the celery is soft – about 5 minutes. (Picture 3)
• Once the cornbread is cooled off enough to handle, crumble it into a large bowl. (Picture 4) Add the drained sausage to the bowl. (Picture 5) (I changed bowls because the first one was too small, so use a big bowl!)

• Add the cooked celery and onions to the same bowl, along with any butter left in the pan. (Butter always makes everything better.) (Picture 6) Toss that all together. (Picture 7)
• Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish and spread it out. (Picture 8)

• In a small bowl, whisk together spices, cream of chicken soup, and broth. (Picture 9)
• Pour the soup mixture over the cornbread – trying to cover as much as you can. (Picture 10) (You can mix it all together, but I like having a few spots of toasty bread chunks that don’t have sauce on them – it is almost like having cornbread croutons mixed in with the saucy pieces. It sounds weird, but it is so good.) If you do decide to mix it up, do not overmix, or the cornbread dressing will end up being kind of mushy – try to keep the cornbread chunks as big as you can.

• Bake the cornbread dressing at 350°F for 30 – 35 minutes, uncovered. (See below to see what it will look like when it is ready.)

(The oven was packed with Thanksgiving recipes the last time I made this! Green Bean Casserole, Squash Casserole, Roasted Carrots, and Sweet Potato Praline Casserole. Yum!)

• When the dressing is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool. The edges will be a little crispy, and it should be “stuck together,” but the center should be soft with a gravy-like top. It is hard to explain, so here’s a picture.

When you scoop into the dressing, it should be a little crumbly, but it should stick together in big chunks as well. It’s pretty messy looking, but it tastes delicious. I served this when my brother-in-law was visiting, and we thought that this might also be a really delicious lunch all on its own – there’s carbs, veggies, and protein – and it is delicious! (It would be a really easy lunch to make on Sunday and have for a few days.)

🍱 Recipe Yield

This recipe should make 12 servings, but if you have big eaters, you might end up with 8 – 10.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

🥫 How to Store Southern Cornbread Dressing

Once cooled, store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Reheat in the toaster oven, microwave, or in the oven. I like to use the oven over the microwave because it makes the cornbread chunks nice and crispy. It is hard to explain, but it is so good!

✏️ Helpful Tips

• Don’t overmix – cornbread chunks will get broken up, and the end result will be soggy dressing.
• Pour the “gravy” over the dressing to prevent overmixing. Sure, this will leave a few bites “undressed,” but then you will have this delicious toasty cornbread mixed with the gravy-drenched bites – it is really delicious.
• Serve leftovers for lunch – this cornbread dressing is delicious, even as a standalone meal. It would be a really easy lunch to prepare on Sunday and then have for a few days.