Go Back

Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Chicken Broth

Southern cornbread dressing is baked with day-old white bread, sage, and chicken broth for a moist center and golden top. The cornbread is baked from scratch, crumbled, and combined with sautéed onion and celery before the dressing goes into the oven.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 22 minutes
Resting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 52 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cornbread
  • 1 cooking spray nonstick
  • 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1.25 cups buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
For the dressing
  • 9 tbsp unsalted butter divided (1 tablespoon softened for the dish and 8 tablespoons for sautéing)
  • 1 yellow onion large, finely diced
  • 3 celery ribs, finely diced
  • 4 cups white bread day-old, torn into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 eggs large, beaten

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch square baking pan
  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Bake the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk.
  5. Stir the melted butter into the egg mixture.
  6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined.
  7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  8. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cornbread completely in the pan.
  10. Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl.
Assemble and bake the dressing
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter.
  3. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add the onion and celery to the skillet.
  5. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  6. Add the day-old bread, onion mixture, sage, and black pepper to the crumbled cornbread and toss to combine.
  7. Stir the chicken broth and beaten eggs into the bread mixture until evenly combined and very moist, with no dry pockets.
  8. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
  9. Bake uncovered for 45–55 minutes, until golden on top and the center reaches 160°F.
  10. Rest the dressing for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a moist dressing, mix until there are no dry pockets without overworking the bread. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free variation, use gluten-free bread and a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.