Easy Cornbread Dressing is the perfect addition to the Holiday table. It is simple to make with cornbread, sage, butter, onions, and celery.
Growing up when my mom would make the dressing, I knew it was a process.
First, she would have to make the Southern Cornbread, followed by chopping up the vegetables, and lastly mixing everything together to place in the oven to bake. As a kitchen observer, it appeared to be a simple process, but I wasn’t sure I was up to the task.
When I moved into my own place as an adult that was married, my first Thanksgiving I opted to use a box stuffing instead. It just wasn’t the same as moms. The following year I begged my mom to make a pan of her dressing for me before Thanksgiving so I could bake it in my oven and serve it to my family. She did and it was delicious.
By the third year of spending Thanksgiving in my home, I finally decided to take the plunge and learn how to make the dressing myself. While going through the process it dawned on me how simple making it really is, the only hard part is chopping up the onion and celery. Learning this, I felt as though I could have been making dressing for years. It was certainly a light bulb moment.
Over the years I continued to make my mom’s recipe while adding in additional ingredients to make it my own. Some years I opt to make my own chicken broth and some years I choose to turn to the boxed kind of broth instead and my family has never complained either way.
Now I have always called it dressing because no matter who’s table I found myself at during the holidays that is what it was referred to. I know that some people prefer to call it stuffing and to me stuffing is the stuff that you actually ‘stuff’ inside the turkey and cook. I believe stuffing is a northern thing and dressing is a southern thing. Honestly, you can call it whichever you prefer, it is your kitchen, your rules.
But let's talk about the recipe...
This recipe is loaded with flavor from the dried sage, salt, and pepper. It also contains sauteed celery and onions that are cooked in butter. No, you cannot substitute it for margarine or vegetable oil...use real butter.
Again as a reminder for this recipe, you can use homemade chicken broth or the premade version. Lastly, you will add in a whole can of cream of chicken soup to add a bit of creaminess to the dressing and keep it from drying out and trust me, dried out dressing is No Bueno.
So which do you prefer to call it? Dressing? Stuffing? Please let me know in the comments below.
Recipe
Easy Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 prepared cornbread recipe, crumbled into small pieces
- 3 slices toasted bread, crumbled or chopped into small pieces
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Using a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add in the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add the onion and celery, continue to cook and stir until it begins to soften. Remove from the heat.
- To a large bowl, add the crumbled cornbread and crumbled slices of toasted bread.
- Stir in the onion and celery mixture until combined.
- Stir in the chicken broth, sage, beaten eggs, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour in the cornbread dressing mixture.
- Place in the oven at 350 degrees F. and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Serve while hot as is or with gravy.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Do you have any tips, kitchen hacks, or ideas for this Easy Cornbread Dressing? Please share them in the comments below!
Dee
My Mama used day-old biscuits instead of toast and just chicken broth with no cream of chicken soup... so good! And as you, I took awhile to tackle it on my own. Lol
LaKita
My mom uses old biscuits as well! I use toast because I usually don't have leftover biscuits 😀
Dani
At what temperature should the oven be set?
LaKita
Please bake it at 350 degrees F.