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.
My recipe is so much like the above mentioned, except I add some mild pork sausage into the mix before I put into the over to bake. Boy you talking about a flavor to live for….. Nothing like some good ole home dressing during the holidays feast!
My recipe is so much similR to the above mention The different that I do I add some mild pork sausage into my mix before I bake and boy you talking about a flavor that is to lie for.
I, like many daughters, would be the “prep cook” or “sous chef” in the kitchen with Mom. I remember one year as a young teen watching her prepare to make the cornbread for the dressing. I got a flashback of her trying to season the dressing from previous years and revelation that she put all of her seasonings in the cornbread. She said that it was a good idea that she had never thought about. I felt on top of the world that I actually taught my mother something about cooking! Each year after that she used that cornbread tip and had less seasoning to do once she mixed the dressing… By the way, now when I make the cornbread for the dressing, I use fresh herbs along with poultry and other seasonings. My mother is no longer with us but now my dad says that my dressing is better than Moms! How about that! That’s the highest cooking compliment I could ever receive!
Unfortunately my Grandmother is no longer hear but this dressings sounds like it came from home …. Moultrie Ga, making it for friends and family for tomorrow
If your from the south, and you grandparents are from ala,nc,sc,ga,tenn,and fla, and miss. Pertty much all our dressing are basically the same but each state and individual adds there own lil secret to add that extra flavor, or kick. Me my self in stead of the cooked chicken, I add the Turkey meat from the breast, I’m a man that love himself some dressing.
Thank u just help me make my 1st thanksgiving dressing all smile here directions where easy to follow and my family loves it