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.
I have used this recipe for the last 3 years and it has been a hit every time. I do however substitute seasoned herb stuffing bread cubes in place of the toast. Thanks
Do you cove the dressing?
Which sized cast iron skillet or pan would you bake the cornbread in? Like a 12″ skillet or a 9×13 pan?
I made this dressing for the first time on Thanksgiving while my MIL made her famous stuffing. You will not believe they cleaned my dressing out and left the whole pan of stuffing sitting there. I almost felt bad, but I was secretly very proud. This even blows my mothers dressing away!
This is almost exactly how my mother made her dressing. She had no recipe, and I have never been able to duplicate the dressing. A friend of mine (from Ft Valley, GA) made your recipe for an office party. She directed me to your web site. While I was eating her dressing I was able feel my mother’s presence right there with me. Thank you so much!
OMG! I’m from Los Angeles dating a Southerner (GA) I failed to make dressing and instead made “stuffing”, I seriously thought it was the same thing just different names, SO WRONG! I didn’t understand why he kept asking: Where’s the dressing”?? for our first Thanksgiving…I blew it big time! I have promised dressing for Christmans LOL, pray for me!
Thanks so much for the recipe. I used to watch my grandma make dressing since I was a kid and could never muster up the courage to make it myself. your recipe was spot on and my mom said that it was delicious! That says alot because she is very picky, LOL!. I made the cornbread 3 days ahead of Thanksgiving and put the mix together (without the eggs) 2 days ahead to make sure that all of the flavors had a chance to blend. I added in the eggs on Thanksgiving day. I will keep this recipe in my archives. very simple to make and tasty too!