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.
Nice recipe just a tip hen gives you better broth and I also add cream of mushroom, and chicken celery to get it supper moist and flavorful
I’m from alabama
I use cream of mushroom soup and celery also. From Arkansas.
Hey girl just so happens that my family is from Elberton also. Really looking for someone to make me a big pan of dressing for Thanksgiving. If your grandmother or you can please send me a email and I will send a phone number to call. Your recipe looks and sounds so good. Please get in touch with soon. And thanks so very much…. 🙂
This was excellent. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was very, very good. Thank you for this recipe.
Here I go again. I made this dressing recipe twice. My family loves it. I use my own basic corn bread recipe; but everything else is from directions. For years I thought making dressing was a difficult thing. But this one was very easy to follow. Thank you Monique. Your website has been a blessing for me. I waited until I got old before the desire to cook hit me. And now with the help of your cookbooks and website, I am able to prepare meals with the great southern flavors of my childhood.
Anna! Are you my twin?? I had to read your comment twice because that is exactly my story. Lucky for me, I married a man who was fine with takeout. But over the years the domestication bug hit me and I slowly learned to make one delicious dish after the next thanks to Monique! I’m craving the mac-n-cheese as we speak. Can’t wait to try this dressing.
OMG Monique!! My family is from Elberton Georgia too! I am going to try this dressing for Christmas! I pray it turns out like yours!
Girl, thank you for sharing! I made this for Thanksgiving and my husband said he was in heaven! The kids have already begged me to make more for Christmas, 2 pans at that! It was good, it was authentic and more than that, IT WAS EASY! Blessings to you honey!
Hi! i’m going to try an make your dressing for thanksgiving.
How did you mix the chicken base
She used Better Than Bouillon brand chicken bouillon mix and I’m sure she just followed the directions on the jar. It makes a great chicken broth and is perfect for this very delicious dressing recipe.