Southern Cornbread Dressing

Just like Grandma used to make, this Southern Cornbread Dressing is Thanksgiving comfort food at its best but made easier by using corn muffin mix.

Brown casserole with Southern Cornbread Dressing and garnished with a fresh sage sprig.

Celebrate a Southern Thanksgiving by pairing your Southern Cornbread Dressing with Spicy Southern Corn Casserole, Fresh Cranberry Salsa, Savory Butternut Squash Casserole,  and Sauteed Haricot Verts for Southern side dishes your family will love!

Cooking for Thanksgiving can be stressful.  You want everything perfect, from the turkey and gravy to the pumpkin pie.  Why not take shortcuts when you can that ease some of your burdens, yet produces the same delicious dish as Grandma made completely from scratch?

This Southern cornbread dressing starts with a boxed corn muffin mix.  It has just the right amount of savory and sweet, plus takes only three ingredients and 20 minutes to whip up.  Plus, you make it a day or two ahead of time!

Ingredients Needed

  • Corn muffin or cornbread mix – I used Jiffy.
  • White bread – I like using brioche because of the buttery flavor, but any white bread works well.
  • Salted butter
  • Breakfast sausage – I like using bulk sage sausage, but use your favorite sausage – Italian sweet or hot, chicken, or maple.
  • Onions and celery
  • Kosher salt
  • White wine or apple cider vinegar
  • Dried sage and poultry seasoning
  • Chicken stock
  • Eggs

Brown casserole with Southern Cornbread Dressing and garnished with a fresh sage sprig.

How To Make This Recipe

  1. Make the cornbread according to the package directions.  This can be done ahead of time.  The more stale the cornbread is, the better.
  2. Cube the cornbread and the white bread.  Toast the cubes in the oven.
  3. Cook the breakfast sausage and then saute the vegetables in the leftover sausage fat.
  4. Mix the bread cubes, sausage, and vegetables together in a large bowl.
  5. Stir in the seasonings, salt, chicken stock, and eggs.
  6. Spoon the dressing into a casserole dish, dot with butter, and bake.

Brown casserole with Southern Cornbread Dressing and garnished with a fresh sage sprig.

Looking for something a little different?  Try our Savory Apple And Chestnut Dressing or Yankee Herbed Bread Stuffing.

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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Just like Grandma used to make, this Southern Cornbread Dressing is Thanksgiving comfort food at its best but made easier by using corn muffin mix.

  • Author: Millie Brinkley
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 8-10 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Southern

Ingredients

Scale

2 boxes Jiffy Corn muffin mix, prepared per box instructions (you’ll need 6 cups of cubes)

6 cups stale white bread, brioche, or sourdough  (you’ll need a ½ pound loaf)

2 tablespoons melted, salted butter

1 tube breakfast sausage

2 large onions, finely minced

4 stalks celery, finely minced

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

2 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons dried sage (to taste)

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (to taste)

1-quart chicken stock (more if needed)

3 large eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup salted butter, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a large casserole or 9×13-inch pan.  Set aside.

Place the cubes of cornbread and white bread on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with the melted butter and toss lightly.  Toast for 10 minutes, tossing once, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Place the toasted cubes into a very large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the breakfast sausage, breaking it up into very small crumbles.  Cook until no longer pink.  Use a slotted spoon to add the sausage to the bowl with the bread cubes.  Reserve the sausage fat in the pan.

Add the onions, celery, and salt to the sausage fat in the skillet.  Saute until the onions become translucent and slightly caramelized.  

Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any golden bits from the bottom.

Add the vegetables to the bowl with the bread cubes.  

Started sprinkling the sage and poultry seasoning on the bread mixture.  Start with ½ tablespoon of sage and 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning.  Toss lightly.  

Moisten with 2 cups of chicken stock.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Add additional poultry seasoning and sage to taste.  Go slowly.  You can always add more, but cannot take it out.

Pour in the remaining chicken stock and beaten eggs.

Toss until everything is moistened and combined.  Don’t overmix the dressing or it will become gummy and dense.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Top with the sliced salted butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, lightly tossing the mixture with a fork every 20 minutes to keep the dressing light and fluffy.

Keywords: Southern cornbread dressing, cornbread dressing, cornbread stuffing, Thanksgiving side dish, Thanksgiving recipes, Corn muffin mix recipes