My Mississippi bred Auntie Rose’s famous Southern cornbread dressing recipe will put boring ole’ stuffing to shame y’all. With its homemade cornbread base, aromatic herbs, and rich scratch made chicken stock, this cornbread dressing is so fire your family will be begging you to make it every holiday and gathering. When it comes to making Southern dressing, my auntie Rose is a straight up boss. Trust, this will be the best cornbread dressing recipe you will ever taste.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Wow this was the best cornbread dressing I’ve ever made! I was nervous at first cause all of the ingredients but they come together and make this side dish so flavorful. Thank you for another successful thanksgiving dinner!”
—KHRISNA M.
As a Southern-reared girl through and through, there wasn’t a holiday spent with my family where there wasn’t a vat of old fashioned cornbread dressing baked up and served in a giant baking pan. We devoured that thing y’all! In my family, the task of making the it was an honor only bestowed to the family member trusted enough to do it justice, and that person is and always is Auntie Rose boos. Getting this recipe written down took a lot of time since she cooks from the soul but we got it. And trust me, you should feel honored to get it.
The Lowdown of This Cornbread Dressing recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Traditional Southern comfort done right!
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Contains gluten, dairy, and eggs
Key Flavor: Savory and Rich with a touch of herbal warmth and meaty texture
Skill Level: Intermediate (You need some skills in the mix!)
Straight Up Southern Authenticity
My family’s dressing recipe captures the rich and hearty flavors of the South, creating a comforting, soul-warming dish that’s sure to satisfy anyone you feed it to.
Homemade Goodness Through and Through
With homemade chicken stock and cornbread, this recipe celebrates the joy of home cooking Black folks style with plenty of soul. And it tastes far superior to anything store-bought ya dig?
Textures on Textures, Flavors on Flavors
This dressing is giving boos. The cornbread is golden with a slight crisp buttery texture. It contrasts perfectly with the creamy, moist and herby base with bits of texture from aromatic veggies and tender meat. The whole thing is rich, savory and straight up addictive.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Cornbread: This recipe starts with my auntie’s super moist, tender yet perfectly gritty with crisp edged southern cornbread. She uses sour cream instead of buttermilk as a big twist that adds tangy moisture in an unexpected way y’all.
- Chicken stock and shredded chicken: My auntie starts by making this homemade chicken stock recipe, which boils a whole chicken that you end up shredding. I know this is a lot of extra steps making all of this from scratch but it is WORTH IT. It will not taste the same if you sub in all store bought here, just keeping it real. If you are going to make this recipe, you must commit.
- Diced veggies: Like most African American cornbread dressing recipes, we add aromatics like onions, celery, and green pepper to the mix.
- Herb stuffing mixture: This adds some extra flavor and texture to the mix. My auntie uses Pepperidge Farms.
- Canned soups: Rose’s recipe uses cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup to add creamy richness to the dressing.
- Sandwich bread: It helps soak up the moistness creating the perfect texture and consistency of the Southern dressing balancing out the coarseness of the cornbread perfectly.
- Spices: Grab the dried sage, poultry seasoning, and black pepper to give the dressing more depth.
How To Make This Cornbread Dressing Recipe
PRO TIP: Make your cornbread a day ahead to allow it to create a bit more sturdy structure. This will help the cornbread stay intact when combined with your wet ingredients.
PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to taste your mixture as you go along and add what you feel is needed. Do you boos! Your taste buds will thank ya!
PRO TIP: Before you bake, add a layer of stock over the top of the dressing. My auntie started doing this to add more moisture as the dressing bakes. Be careful not to oversaturate your mixture though. You want your dressing to be moist, not soggy. Add in broth a little bit at a time and allow it to soak in while avoiding a large pool to build up on the bottom boos.
What To Serve With Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
- Southern Sunday Supper: Make you some fried pork chops, collard greens, and some fried cornbread to round out this cornbread dressing dish.
- Low Key Soul Food Thanksgiving: Keep your main no-fuss by making roasted turkey legs or baked turkey legs, this dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, brown gravy, slow cooker mashed potatoes, and Southern green beans. And don’t forget the sweet potato pie.
- All Out Christmas Menu: Serve prime rib with au jus and horseradish sauce, this cornbread dressing recipe, candied yams, and honey rolls.
- Easter Spread: Get that honey glazed ham on the table along with candied sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes and don’t forget my bomb carrot cake.
They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“This is the 4th year making this fantastic recipe and I almost know it by heart!! I learned how to make great cornbread and chicken stock from this recipe. I loved the detailed way you inform on all aspects of the recipe. Thank you for this recipe and all the other ones. I know I can rely and depend on them to be above average even for me.”
—NICHOLAS G.
Recipe Substitutions
- Chicken Stock: If you don’t have time to commit to making your own, grab the best brand you can find so you don’t lose too much additional flavor. Super flavorful chicken broth will work as well.
- Whole Chicken: If you want to cut corners, you can swap in a rotisserie chicken that’s already cooked and ready to shred.
- Cream Soups: You can use all cream of mushroom or cream of chicken instead of both.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Listen, I don’t necessarily suggest messing with perfection because the texture will change a ton if you do but if you truly want to try, replace the regular cornbread, stuffing mix and bread with your fave gluten-free versions and see how it works out. Leave me a comment so I can share with others too!
- Boost the Veggies: Throw in more veggies like diced carrots or bell peppers for added texture and flavor.
- Protein Twist: Toss some cooked, crumbled sausage or diced, cooked bacon into the dressing assembly to add another layer of hearty flavor.
- Spice things up!: Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or even a dash of hot sauce to the mix for a spicy kick.
Expert Tips and Tricks For Making The Best Southern Dressing
- Use Homemade Cornbread: Y’all my auntie’s homemade cornbread hits different in this recipe. It makes a huge difference in the end result versus using store-bought.
- Prep Ahead: Prepare your cornbread and chicken stock a day in advance. Not only will this save you time on the day of your meal, but it also allows the flavors to develop further, particularly in the stock y’all. And don’t forget that slightly stale cornbread actually absorbs flavors much better.
- Don’t Skimp on Moisture: Make sure you add enough homemade stock to the dressing to keep it moist. Lift the foil while baking. If it starts to look dry, don’t hesitate to add a little stock on top.
- Season It Up: Don’t be shy with your herbs and seasonings. Sage and poultry seasoning are classic in African American cornbread dressing y’all but feel free to play around and make it just how you like it. Just be careful with adding salt, as the broths and soups already contain a good amount.
- Avoid Overbaking: To keep your dressing moist and light, make sure not to overbake it. It’s ready when the top is golden brown, and the dressing is set but still moist.
How to Store & Reheat Cornbread Dressing
Leftover dressing should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, cover with foil to prevent it from drying out, and bake at 350°F until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.
How Long Will African American Cornbread Dressing Last in the Fridge?
It should last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Southern Dressing?
Yep absolutely boos! Ensure it’s cooled completely, then cover it tightly with aluminum foil then add to a freezer bag releasing air and freeze. Don’t forget to add a label with the date too. It can be frozen for up to a month. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat in the oven as instructed above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely boos! You can even make this up to a month ahead if you freeze it. I personally like to prep the chicken and stock as well as the cornbread a day or two ahead. You can assemble the day before or even the day of and bake it up.
If your dressing is dry, it could be due to not using enough chicken stock or overbaking. Make sure to add enough stock for moisture and keep an eye on the baking time. If the dressing starts to look dry while baking, add more stock as needed.
Yep for sure! You can use a different pan size, but it may affect the cooking time. If the pan is smaller and the dressing thicker, it might take a bit longer to cook through.
More Cornbread Recipes
- Hot Water Cornbread
- Southern Cornbread Recipe
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Jiffy Cornbread Recipe
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Cornbread
- Mexican Cornbread Recipe
- Corn Muffin Recipe
- Oyster Dressing
Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Chicken Stock
- 1 5-6 pound chicken thawed
- 3 large celery stalks
- 1 large sweet onion peeled
- ¾ cup salted butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic heaping
- 8 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 tbsp black pepper plus 1 teaspoon
For the Cornbread
- 5 cups self rising cornmeal mix I use Pearl Milling Co.
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 5 tsp granulated sugar
- 2½ cups whole milk room temperature
- 6 large eggs room temperature and beaten
- 8 oz sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
For the Cornbread Dressing
- 2 cups finely chopped onions
- 2 cups finely chopped celery
- ½ cup finely chopped green pepper
- 14 oz herb seasoned stuffing Pepperidge farms is what we use
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 8 white sandwich bread slices (include the 2 ends)
- 1 tbsp ground sage
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
For the Chicken and Chicken Stock
- Follow full instructions for making chicken stock in this recipe.
For the Cornbread
- Follow full instructions to make southern cornbread.
For the Cornbread Dressing
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Crumble cornbread by hand into super small pieces and fine crumbs in a large roasting pan.
- Add the onions, celery, green pepper and stuffing mix to crumbled cornbread. Completely mix everything together until thoroughly mixed.
- Next add cream of mushroom soups, cream of chicken soups and 6 cups of the homemade stock and combine thoroughly. Make sure you are mixing every single thing in as well as possible so flavor gets throughout.
- Next place slices of bread to the top of dressing mixture. Pour remaining 2 cups of chicken stock over the bread and dressing soaking the bread then mix thoroughly into the dressing mixture.
- Finally add ground sage, poultry seasoning and pepper and mix in until well seasoned.
To Assemble
- Begin by adding a layer of dressing mixture to bottom of 9×13 pan about a ¾ to an inch high to cover the bottom of the pan. Line the layer with shredded chicken then repeat with another large layer of dressing then chicken and repeat ending with dressing at the top of the pan. Repeat for the other 9×13 pan.
- Cover both pans with foil and bake for 45 minutes (ADD TENT OF STOCK NOTED IN NOTES BELOW AS IT BAKES) then remove foil and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 180. (DON'T OVERBAKE!- ALSO SEE NOTES BELOW)
Notes
How to Store & Reheat Cornbread Dressing
Leftover dressing should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, cover with foil to prevent it from drying out, and bake at 350°F until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.How Long Will African American Cornbread Dressing Last in the Fridge?
It should last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.Can I Freeze Southern Dressing?
Yep absolutely boos! Ensure it’s cooled completely, then cover it tightly with aluminum foil then add to a freezer bag releasing air and freeze. Don’t forget to add a label with the date too. It can be frozen for up to a month. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat in the oven as instructed above.Nutrition
This post was originally published October 2019. It has been updated with new content and images.
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This is pretty much the same exact recipe as mine, but I don’t make homemade stock or cornbread. I’m really thinking I should try this year though! I’m sure it would only make my dressing that much better. Thanks for sharing this!
Before I start, what is a “tent of broth?”
Basically we push the sides of the dressing down on the ends and add a little of the broth around so it stays moist while baking.
I’ve been making dressing like my Mother did. If sounds a lot like yours, but she always cooked the celery and onion before putting in dressing to keep from having to cook longer and drying out the dressing. She never used soup but poured the drippings from the turkey in with the dressing! She used milk in it also. It was called Nana’s Dressing and still is, to this day! My daughter told me today that if anyone mentions “dressing” she says, Nana makes the best!
Thanks for sharing Diane.
Great recipe!! I love it! Thanks for sharing your version!
Thank you so much!
If you make and freeze ahead of time, do you freeze before or after the final bake?
You would freeze ahead of time. We do all the time. Make sure it is covered completely without any air pockets. Let it sit out to come back to room temperature and then bake.
Grandbaby cakes..i love this receipe.. I ‘m from Greenville, ms and this receipe is as southern as it gets. We have always been in the kitchen and everyone LOVES our kind of cooking. Everything you suggested is just fine.
Thank you so much!
Sounds like JUST what I am looking for this Thursday! Thank you for sharing, also a fellow Mississippian and sugar in cornbread is a MUST down here.
Fantastic!!!
My mom, her mother and a host of southern women have been making dressing for close to 100 years.
Your recipe sounds close but ours is a little simpler and we never ever put sugar or flour in our cornbread. To each their own… but in Georgia and Alabama and the many cooks I know and love, adding those is a sacrilege!!
Also, instead of cream of mushroom, we add cream of chicken and cream of celery. No mushrooms in dressing. Or green peppers.
Just some thoughts from the deep south cooks!
Hi Toni, no need for sharing your deep thoughts on cornbread. My entire family is Mississippi bred. This recipe comes from my Mississippi bred auntie. That’s who Auntie Rose is. She is from Winona, MS and this recipe comes from her. As you said, to each their own. Spreading love and positivity your way however.
Toni, will you please share your recipe that excludes flour in cornbread please! Thanks in advance. (Just a thought—realize that cornmeal mix includes flour or that hot water cornbread is different from skillet cornbread.)
A Southern Cook from Texas who loves Grandbaby Cakes Recipes
Cornbread recipe please?
Here ya go! https://grandbaby-cakes.com/southern-cornbread-recipe/
So you use the chicken in the dressing even when serving with Turkey?
We personally do but you can leave that out if you want to.
anxious to try this recipe this Thanksgiving !
Fantastic! Make sure you come back and let me know how it turns out for you.
I’m absolutely stunned! The dressing and broth are so similar to mine that I’m wondering how to put my recipes out there!! I personally, however want to offer a couple of tweaks, specifically for the holiday season. I use turkey necks instead of chicken to create the broth. First, without seasoning, bring them to a hard boil in water for 10 to 15 minutes in order to get rid of the scum. Dump, rinse, pat dry, season generously with with salt, pepper, onion powder, sage, and a little garlic powder. Add the necks to a clean pot, with any good chicken stock. Instead of bouillon cubes I use “Better than Bouillon. ” Add all the other things she listed (celery, fresh parsley, onions, etc.. and whatever you normally use for seasoning, but be careful with salt. Simmer low until necks are tender, adding stock as needed, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adjusting seasoning to taste. Remove the necks and when cooled down enough to handle, remove the meat. Use this in your dressing instead of chicken. Put the broth in the freezer until it “sets” enough to easily remove the frozen layer of fat.
Love your changes! They sound awesome.
I absolutely love cornbread dressing. My mama used to make it for me all of the time. Now that she’s gone I have not been able to replicate it.
I can now. Thank you so much!!
That makes me so happy