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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern cornbread dressing is baked with crumbled homemade cornbread, stale sandwich bread, sautéed vegetables, and savory herbs. The top turns golden while the center sets, making it a hearty, moist side dish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 22 minutes
resting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 57 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 275
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cornbread
  • 1 nonstick cooking spray as needed
  • 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp kosher salt divided (1 teaspoon for the cornbread and 1 teaspoon for the dressing)
  • 5 eggs large, divided (2 for the cornbread and 3 for the dressing)
  • 1.5 cups buttermilk
  • 0.25 cup vegetable oil
For the dressing
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup celery finely chopped
  • 3 cups white sandwich bread stale, cubed
  • 1.5 tsp rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 8-inch square baking pan
  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 1 10-inch skillet

Method
 

Bake the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs with the buttermilk and vegetable oil.
  5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cornbread completely.
  8. Crumble the cornbread into a 5-quart mixing bowl.
Make and bake the dressing
  1. Reduce the oven to 350°F.
  2. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add the onion and celery, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  4. Add the onion mixture, cubed bread, sage, poultry seasoning, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the crumbled cornbread; toss to combine.
  5. Whisk the remaining 3 eggs with the chicken broth.
  6. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture and fold gently until evenly moistened.
  7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
  8. Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden, the center is set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 160°F.
  9. Rest the dressing for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, let the cornbread cool completely before crumbling it into the dressing. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days; freezer: yes, freeze in an airtight container. For a gluten-free adaptation, use gluten-free flour and stale gluten-free sandwich bread.