Cornbread Dressing (Cornbread Stuffing)
Posted Nov 09, 2022, Updated Feb 15, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This cornbread dressing recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. This buttery, savory, herb-infused cornbread stuffing is a delicious holiday side dish.
Every holiday needs a delicious stuffing/dressing side dish, and this cornbread dressing recipe is sure to impress (also this sausage stuffing, and corn pudding – yum).
It’s easy to make with either a package of cornbread, or homemade cornbread, and can even be prepared a day in advance!
Cornbread Stuffing: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
- Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
- Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
- Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
- Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
Let’s walk through how to make cornbread dressing step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the stuffing mixture or cubed homemade cornbread and chicken broth in a large bowl, gently stirring every 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the stuffing. Set aside.
Note: If using homemade cornbread, I suggest cutting it into small cubes and baking at 325 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until it’s slightly crispy.
While the stuffing is absorbing the liquid, cook the butter onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, sage leaves, and parsley in a large pot over medium-high heat until the veggies are soft
Then, add the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the stuffing and mix until evenly combined. Taste the stuffing and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.
Bake
At this point, you can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey or bake as described below:
- Stuff it in a turkey. If you are making this cornbread stuffing recipe to go inside a turkey, stuff it according to the recipe you’re using to cook your bird!
- Bake uncovered. If you like a crunchy top, then bake the stuffing uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.
- Bake covered. If you like a softer stuffing, then bake it in a casserole dish with a lid or cover the baking dish with foil!
Serve
Serve warm with your favorite Thanksgiving recipes or for a yummy holiday side dish.
- Turkey: this Roast Turkey and the best Turkey Gravy are must-makes on the Thanksgiving or any holiday!
- Sweet Potatoes. This is the best sweet potato casserole ever, or try this healthy sweet potato casserole! If you like crisp potatoes (as opposed to mashed) try these maple roasted sweet potatoes!
- This butternut squash soup makes a great appetizer!
- Green Beans. I always make these apple cider sautéed green beans on Thanksgiving! These Parmesan roasted green beans are also a huge hit!
- Brussels Sprouts! This recipe for Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts will turn a sprouts-hater into a sprouts-lover! Also try this Brussel Sprout Salad!
- Apples. These sautéed cinnamon apples always make an appearance on our holiday table. Or you can combine them with sweet potatoes and make roasted sweet potatoes and apples!
- Cranberry Sauce. I’m all about homemade cranberry sauce! Try our favorite traditional cranberry sauce or our healthy cranberry sauce.
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Prepare in Advance
I almost always make this cornbread dressing recipe the day before Thanksgiving. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Follow the recipe completely, including baking.
2. Let stuffing cool to room temperature.
3. Cover with foil or a lid (if your baking dish has one).
4. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat: Cover stuffing and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. Remove cover in the last 5-10 minutes of baking to restore the crunchy top! You may need to add a splash of extra broth if it dried out at all overnight.
Cornbread Dressing Recipe FAQs
The only difference, technically, is that stuffing is usually referred to when the mixture is stuffed inside of a turkey (or another bird), while dressing is baked on its own. Now a days they are basically synonymous.
Yes, I suggest cutting the cornbread into small cubes and baking it at 325 degrees F until it’s slightly hardened (about 15-25 minutes). Then let it cool completely before using in this recipe.
Yes, you can do this. Although I prefer to bake it all the way ahead of time and then simply reheat it on the holiday.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Cornbread Dressing Recipe (Cornbread Stuffing)
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1 12 ounce package cornbread stuffing (8 cups cubed cornbread)
- 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13” pan, set aside.
- Combine stuffing mixture or cubed homemade cornbread and chicken broth in a large bowl, gently stirring every 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the stuffing. Set aside.
- Cook butter onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, sage leaves, and parsley and cook until veggies are soft
- Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add mixture to the bowl with the stuffing and mix until evenly combined. Taste the stuffing and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.
- At this point, you can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey or bake as described in the next steps:
- Add stuffing to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is set and slightly browned/firm. I personally love a crunchy top, but if you like it soft you can bake it covered with foil.
- Serve warm!
Video
Notes
- Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
- Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
- Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
- Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
- Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
- Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
- Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
- Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
- Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
- Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
- Stuff it in a turkey. If you are making this cornbread stuffing recipe to go inside a turkey, stuff it according to the recipe you’re using to cook your bird!
- Bake uncovered. If you like a crunchy top, then bake the stuffing uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.
- Bake covered. If you like a softer stuffing, then bake it in a casserole dish with a lid or cover the baking dish with foil!
- Follow the recipe completely, including baking.
- Let stuffing cool to room temperature.
- Cover with foil or a lid (if your baking dish has one).
- Store in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this as part of our Thanksgiving meal, and am looking forward to leftovers! It is flavorful and easy to assemble. I made homemade cornbread a few days ahead, cubed and left it out to get a little stale. It worked perfectly in this recipe.