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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Classic Southern cornbread dressing with crumbled cornbread, butter-softened onion and celery, sage and chicken broth, baked until golden on top and soft inside.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

Bread:

  • 8 cups crumbled cornbread about one 9x13 pan, unsweetened, 1 day old
  • 3 cups white bread or biscuits torn into small pieces, day-old

Vegetables and seasoning:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter plus more for the dish
  • 2 cups yellow onion chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups celery chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped, or 1 1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

To bind:

  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus up to 1/2 cup more if needed
  • 2 large eggs beaten

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Place the crumbled cornbread and torn bread in a very large bowl.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Stir in the sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.
  • Pour the vegetables over the bread. Add 3 1/2 cups of broth and the beaten eggs. Stir gently until everything is evenly moist, like a thick, wet oatmeal. Add a little more broth if it looks dry.
  • Spread in the baking dish. Bake uncovered 45 to 50 minutes, until golden on top and set in the middle. The center should reach 165°F (74°C).
  • Let it rest 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Notes

Make ahead: Bake the cornbread up to 2 days ahead. You can assemble the dressing (without baking) up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days.
Reheat: Add a splash of broth, cover with foil and warm at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
Variations: Add cooked pork sausage, sautéed mushrooms, chopped pecans or a diced apple.
Keyword cornbread dressing, cornbread stuffing, southern cornbread dressing, thanksgiving dressing