Homemade Cornbread Dressing (aka cornbread stuffing) is made with a mixture of cornbread and french bread, along with vegetables and herbs. So many delicious flavors, and it’s so easy to make.
Want more Thanksgiving side dishes? Don’t miss my Cranberry Sauce, Best Homemade Rolls, Sweet Potato Casserole, or Mashed Potatoes!
Why I love this recipe:
- The BEST Thanksgiving Side – Stuffing has always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, and this old fashioned cornbread dressing adds such a tasty texture and flavor – you will love it!!
- Prep Ahead: I am a HUGE fan of relaxing on Thanksgiving day with my family, but I’m not going to sacrifice flavor and quality of our meal and you don’t have to either! This delicious stuffing can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. (And let me show you what else I make ahead for Thanksgiving).
- Easy to Customize – This is the perfect original cornbread stuffing recipe, but you can feel free to make it your own with my variations below. I have instructions to make it vegan, add sausage, nuts and other mix-ins.
How to make Cornbread Dressing:
Dry Bread Cubes: Spread cornbread and bread cubes onto large baking sheets then leave them out to dry out for 1-2 days. If you’re in a hurry, you can them out in the oven by cooking them at 250 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until the bread is dry and stale.
Sauté Vegetables: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for a few minutes until softened. Place the dried bread cubes in a large bowl then pour in butter and vegetable mixture.
Add Broth: Gradually ladle the broth mixture onto the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Add more broth mixture, just until everything is evenly moistened. (You don’t want to add too much broth or it will be more mushy and dense). Taste it then add more herbs or salt, if needed.
Bake: Layer mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cornbread stuffing is golden brown on top.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This easy cornbread dressing can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store it in a gallon ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Don’t miss my list of make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes.
To Freeze: Prepare stuffing as directed and bake in a freezer sage container. Once cooled, cover well with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Rewarm in the oven, or heat individual servings in the microwave.
Recipe Variations:
- Add Sausage: Cook ½ lb of ground sausage and add it to the bread cubes in step 5.
- Vegan Cornbread Dressing: Use ½ cup of canola oil in place of the butter, and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.
- Dried Fruit: Add dried cranberries or raisins.
- Add Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts are best.
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Recipe
Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 loaf crusty french bread cut into small cubes (about 7 cups dried)
- 1 8×8 pan cornbread cut into small cubes (about 7 cups dried)
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 4 ribs celery , chopped
- 3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary , chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley , chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Dry cornbread and bread: Spread bread cubes onto large baking sheets and leave them out to dry for 1-2 days. If you're in a hurry you can dry it them in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until the bread is dry and stale.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauté Veggies: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the onion, celery, basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley and cook for a few minutes until softened.
- To a large mixing bowl add dried bread cubes. Pour in butter and Vegetable mixture.
- Add broth: Gradually ladle the broth mixture onto the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Add more broth, just until everything is evenly moistened. Don't add too much broth or it will be more mushy and dense. Taste and add more herbs or salt, if needed.
- Bake: Pour mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe November 2013. Updated November 2018 and November 2023.
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Great recipe – enjoyed at Thanksgiving!
Hi!! Happy Thanksgiving leftover days! I was looking for a dressing recipe similar to my family’s and yours is the closest! Normally my mom always make it, but this year it was my task! I used from scratch Italian bread (from my husband’s restaurant) bc we already had it at home and three packets of (not sweet!) cornbread mix. I do add green bell pepper— approximately 1.5 and 1.5 green apples, diced smoked ham and the meat from the turkey stock (see next step!). And because I spatchcock my turkey (to dry brine it) on Tuesday I make a slow cooked turkey stock (with the backbone, neck bone & gizzards) that I use to moisten the dressing. Definitely team no eggs! Got my mom and family’s stamp of approval!
This is the best stuffing I’ve ever made. Guests told me so. I did add 10 oz of mild ground pork sausage and 1 lb of cremini mushrooms. It was amazing! Thank you for sharing this hybrid recipe for those of us Yankees who favor bread stuffing but we’re cooking for cornbread-loving Southerners. We all loved it!
Wondering about the broth. In the video it looks like you add the broth right to the butter and vegetables on the stove, and then to the bread mixture. But in your instructions, it says to add the butter/veggie mix to the bread mixture and then ladle a broth over it?
Follow the recipe instructions.
I rarely see dressing recipes without egg. Can eggs be added to this recipe?
Where is the parsley used? I see it listed in ingredients, but not mentioned in recipe. Thanks.
Thanks Susan! It should be added at the same time as the rosemary. I updated the recipe. Thanks so much for letting us know that was missing. Hope you love the dressing!
-Stacy
Amazing recipe. I used bread I made a few days before and a package of cornbread made the day of, so I dried them out in the oven as suggested in the recipe. The only change I made was to add a little sage and just a smidge of poultry seasoning as I didn’t have rosemary on hand and wanted to try and incorporate it somehow. My husband was so happy with this dish, and I was too! He said it was his favorite part of our dinner for two. It was absolutely divine, and it will be our staple for dressing from here forward. Thank you for sharing it with the world!
Love this recipe! There’s only 1 change I will try next time and that’s to use regular vs honey cornbread. The honey flavor distracted a bit from the savory, delicious fresh herbs in my opinion…but it’s easy and tasty!! Thank you!
Best stuffing recipe out there! I also used your buttermilk cornbread recipe, and it was perfect!
My sister is a chef and recommended this recipe when I was complaining about the junk being sold at the grocery store. Hands down the best stuffing we’ve ever had. I will never buy it pre-made again.