Homemade Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe ~Soul Food Style~
You are viewing the original dressing recipe posted in 2009. I have since updated the recipe (photo below) and you can find it HERE. If you prefer this recipe then just keep reading. I decided to leave it up just in case.
Watch me make this southern cornbread dressing recipe from start to finish!
Original Post
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a flavorful, homemade Southern Cornbread dressing, then let me share with you my grandmother’s recipe. This dressing is usually the ONLY dressing I will eat. It is moist, full of that soul food flavor, and as southern as it gets! I’m talking Elberton, Georgia southern!!
My grandmother has been making this dressing for EVERYBODY’S Thanksgiving since I was a baby. People put in their requests for her to make them a pan for their Thanksgiving dinner months ahead of time.
When she gave me this recipe I was surprised to discover how easy it was. All this time I thought it was some complicated process. Now if you want this dressing to be darker then you can put in more seasonings. My grandmother puts in a crapload, but I find it tastes delish with just a teaspoon of each, especially if I’m going to be serving it with some flavorful gravy.
If you have a favorite southern cornbread recipe (not the sweet kind) then use that. If not I’ve listed a basic, easy one below.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe ~Soul Food Style~
Ingredients
BASIC CORNBREAD RECIPE
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
DRESSING RECIPE
- Cornbread, 9x9 inch pan (my grandmother always uses day old cornbread)
- 3 pieced of toast, crumbled (or stale bread)
- 1 cup onions, diced (about half of a large onion)
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 3 stalks)
- 1 cup green bell peppers, diced, (about 1 medium green bell pepper. You could also add in some red bell pepper as well if you'd like)
- 1 cooked chicken breast or cooked chicken thighs, shredded
- 2 eggs
- 3-4 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- To make the cornbread, in a bowl,whisk together the cornmeal & flour.
- Add in the buttermilk, eggs & oil.
- Stir just until combined. Do not over work the batter.
- Pour into a greased, 9 x9 baking dish.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done.
- Let cool.
- Once cooled break up the cornbread and toast it in the oven to dry it out. *See note*
- Set aside.
- To make the dressing, add the dried cornbread and crumbled toast into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, sauté onions, celery and green bell peppers in a little bit of butter or olive oil until tender.
- Add the sautéed veggies into the cornbread mixture.
- Add shredded chicken into the cornbread mixture.
- Stir together to combine.
- Add in the broth a little at a time. (Add in just enough to make everything thick & a little soupy.)
- Stir in poultry seasoning, sage, and black pepper.
- Give it a taste and add more seasonings if desired. It should taste exactly the way you want your dressing to taste like.
- When you are content with the taste, go ahead and stir in the eggs.
- Pour into a buttered 9 X 13 casserole pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until set.
Video
Notes
Be sure to taste it before adding the eggs and adjust the seasonings to your liking. You can also use chicken thighs for more flavor.
My grandmother uses red bell pepper as well sometimes.
Grandmother’s sure knew how to make the cornbread dressing…my grandmother gave me similar recipe minus the bell peppers & celery. She always said make sure you add about 6 eggs for each pan, use 1 stick of real butter per pan & 1 can of evaporated milk in the actual dressing mix..she always laid the chicken legs or thighs in the skillet & poured dressing mix over it…I do not add the meat in my dressing at all as I am afraid if it sits out it might cause food poisoning 🙁 ….She also told me the key to a GREAT dressing was make it ”sloppy but not runny” & don’t over cook it. I have used the recipe for years & have many in my family who will eat it cold from fridge the next day 🙂
Good morning,
I would love to use your recipe this Thanksgiving, but was wondering if you use two eggs or the 6 you spoke of in your grandmother’s recipe
I use 2 eggs for the dressing.
I love this recipe and so does my family! The macaroni & cheese and turkey are also on the menu for Turkey Day. I have mastered these recipes from your site. The caramel apple crisp is too! Thank you for sharing!
I’m excited about making this for Thanksgiving, but could not find the recipe you mentioned for the seasoning such as sage, black pepper, etc. Anybody know which spices? Thanks!
I just realized the self rising corn meal. Stores are closed. How can I make this work
That looks great. In Arkansas my mother taught me to use cream of mushroom soup also because we like ours moist.
I’m from Atlanta but spent many childhood holidays in LaGrange at my grandmother’s and learned how to make all of the traditional Southern dishes from her and my mother. We use the stock from the turkey instead of chicken stock and sometimes will make a stock from the yucky items they put in the cavity that I’d never eat but it sure makes the house smell good while simmering on the back burner and then using it too in the dressing. Happy Thanksgiving all!!