Cornbread Dressing

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This no-fail cornbread dressing recipe is as classic as it gets.

Southern Living Cornbread Dressing in the dish to serve
Photo:

Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Servings:
16 to 18

Cornbread dressing is a staple on Thanksgiving tables every year, and this recipe is one of our favorites. Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, this dish is practically required at Thanksgiving.

This recipe makes one large and one small pan of cornbread dressing, so it's ideal for extremely large families. Of course, you can always serve one dish and put one in the freezer to save for later. It would be delicious in this Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.

This cornbread dressing recipe has so much flavor because it's seasoned with sage and parsley, and the texture is always perfectly moist. Even though buying boxed or premade cornbread can make dressing recipes a lot easier, this recipe uses homemade cornbread, and your family will taste the difference. Mama will be so impressed with this delicious cornbread dressing that she might even give her old recipe up for this one.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter or margarine, divided

  • 3 cups cups self-rising white cornmeal mix

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 7 large eggs, divided

  • 3 cups buttermilk

  • 3 cups soft, white breadcrumbs

  • 2 large sweet onions, diced

  • 4 celery ribs, diced

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 Tbsp. seasoned pepper

  • 7 cups chicken broth

Directions

  1. Melt butter in baking dish:

    Place 1/2 cup butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; heat in oven at 425°F for 4 minutes.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing melting the butter in the pan

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  2. Make cornbread mixture:

    Stir together cornmeal and flour; whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing whisking together the cornbread recipe

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  3. Add batter to pan:

    Pour hot butter into batter, and stir until blended. Pour batter into pan.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing batter in the dish before baking

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  4. Bake cornbread:

    Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Crumble cornbread into a large bowl; stir in breadcrumbs, and set aside.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing crumbling the cornbread

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  5. Sauté onions, celery, and herbs:

    Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat; add onions and celery, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sage, parsley, and seasoned pepper; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir into cornbread mixture.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing preparing the vegetables

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  6. Make dressing mixture, and add to baking dishes:

    Whisk together chicken broth and remaining 4 eggs; stir into cornbread mixture.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing adding the chicken broth and eggs

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

    Pour evenly into 1 lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan and 1 lightly greased 8-inch square pan.

    Southern Living Cornbread Dressing stirring the cornbread mixture together and putting in dish

    Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  7. Bake dressing:

    Bake at 400°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Testing Note

For testing purposes only, we used White Lily Self-Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix.

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