Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Ideas and Tips Thanksgiving Recipes Thanksgiving Side Dishes The Best Thanksgiving Dressing Recipes For Your Holiday Menu Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, no holiday meal is complete without this essential turkey side dish. By Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 10, 2023 Close Photo: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Dressing made from scratch is a quintessential Thanksgiving side dish. Alongside the steamy heap of slow-cooked greens, cheesy mac and cheese, and sweet-and-tangy cranberry sauce lives a spoonful (or two) of the most delicious Thanksgiving dressing. A special treat most enjoyed on this holiday, Thanksgiving dressing is the perfect buffer for all the other side dishes on the plate. The best Thanksgiving dressing recipe starts with a solid bread foundation, no matter what variation of the recipe is made. Bring family and friends together over some of our favorite Thanksgiving dressing and stuffing recipes and watch it all disappear. 01 of 18 Southern Cornbread Dressing Photographer: Brittany Conerly; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin Complete with homemade cornbread crumbles, this recipe will be passed down in the family for years to come. This recipe serves 14 to 16, so there's sure to be plenty to serve the whole family and maybe even some leftovers. Get The Recipe 02 of 18 Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Made with four different types of bread, this dressing will be the star of the show on your Thanksgiving table. The secret to the best dressing, as noted in this recipe, is to start the prep work two days in advance. Get The Recipe 03 of 18 Lacey's Cornbread Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell Actress Lacey Chabert shares her family's recipe from cornbread dressing which was originally made by her great-grandmother. Though she can make it from memory, she finally got it down on paper so she could keep the recipe alive. Get The Recipe 04 of 18 Classic Cornbread Dressing Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This classic recipe calls for homemade cornbread. That might sound like a lot of effort, but it is totally worth it. You can also make the cornbread up to two days in advance. Get The Recipe 05 of 18 Herbed Wild Rice Dressing IAIN BAGWELL With wild rice, apples, and walnuts, this dressing is full of flavor that many of your guests might not expect. Unlike traditional cornbread dressing, this recipe is more like a salad than a casserole. Get The Recipe 06 of 18 Cornbread Dressing Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Whether you use homemade or store-bought chicken broth, it's the key to ensuring that this cornbread dressing is moist and not dried out. You'll know it's ready to come out of the oven when the top is golden brown. Get The Recipe 07 of 18 Grits Dressing Laurey W. Glenn If you've been making the same Cornbread Dressing for too many years to count, it may be time to switch it up and try incorporating another Southern staple, grits, into your dressing. Get The Recipe 08 of 18 Karen Rankin's Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis We love a make-ahead recipe during the busy holiday season. You can assemble this recipe the day before, just let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Get The Recipe 09 of 18 Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel IAIN BAGWELL The large chunks of cornbread in this dressing pair well with mild Italian sausage and fennel. Just make sure the cornbread you're using is a day old, not freshly baked. Get The Recipe 10 of 18 Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing Vianney Rodriguez/Jason David Page We didn't think making cornbread dressing could get any easier, then we came up with this slow cooker cornbread dressing recipe, which makes the process infinitely easier to prepare (and a couple of degrees more delicious too). Get The Recipe 11 of 18 Classic Bread Dressing Iain Bagwell Try this sourdough bread dressing instead of your usual cornbread. You might have a new go-to recipe. Get The Recipe 12 of 18 Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: KATHLEEN VARNER; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Whether you serve it alongside your family's favorite dressing or want to completely swap things up this year, this recipe will bring some heat to the menu. It's flavored with jalapeños, chorizo, and cilantro for a spicy Thanksgiving side. Get The Recipe 13 of 18 Best Cornbread Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall The secret to good dressing is starting with dried cornbread. Let the cornbread dry in a large, opened plastic bag at room temperature for 24 hours. Get The Recipe 14 of 18 Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Use Jiffy corn muffin mix to make your life easier when prepping this dressing recipe. Other than baking the cornbread, the rest of the recipe comes together in one skillet. Get The Recipe 15 of 18 Sausage Stuffing Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Smoked sausage, such as Conecuh, adds heartiness and an extra layer of flavor to this stuffing recipe. Just make sure to reserve the pan drippings when you brown the sausage as it'll play a role in the recipe. Get The Recipe 16 of 18 Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Nutty and earthy flavors shine in this quintessential Thanksgiving recipe. It's so good you may consider serving it with meats like pork or roasted chicken throughout the year. Get The Recipe 17 of 18 Mimi's Cornbread Dressing Southern Living Packaged mixes and store bought cornbread vary in sweetness and moisture; so for this savory dressing, make yours from scratch. We guarantee that this simple buttermilk skillet version will give your dressing the best texture and flavor, satisfying even the most discerning of dressing-loving dinner guests. Get The Recipe 18 of 18 Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing Squash casserole and cornbread meet to make your new favorite dressing. Serve with other holiday favorites like green bean casserole or mac and cheese for an unforgettable meal. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit