Description
This Cornbread Dressing Best Southern is a comforting side dish featuring crispy cornbread, aromatic herbs, and tender vegetables. Perfect for holidays or Sunday dinners, it’s packed with classic Southern flavors and textures that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cornbread:
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal (stone-ground preferred)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the dressing:
- 1 entire pan of prepared cornbread (recipe above), dried overnight and crumbled
- 8 slices white bread, dried overnight and cubed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large onions, finely diced (about 3 cups)
- 4 celery stalks, finely diced (about 2 cups)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3–4 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Instructions
- Prepare the Cornbread: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely, then crumble and let dry overnight.
- Dry the Bread: Cube white bread and spread on a baking sheet. Let dry overnight at room temperature or bake at 250°F (120°C) for 20 minutes until slightly toasted but not browned.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and celery, cooking until softened (about 8–10 minutes). Stir in garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley, cooking for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, cubed white bread, sautéed vegetables, and dried rubbed sage. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring until the mixture is moist but not soggy. Fold in beaten eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Bake the Dressing: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes until golden brown on top and set in the center.
Notes
Substitutions: Use dried herbs if fresh aren’t available (use 1/3 the amount). Substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make it vegetarian-friendly. Adjust broth quantity based on desired moisture level.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: cornbread dressing, southern dressing recipe, holiday side dish, cornbread stuffing