As a Southern-reared girl through and through, there wasn’t a holiday spent with my family where there wasn’t a pan of cornbread dressing on the tble. 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. Now let me tell you, this thing takes time. We make the cornbread and chicken stock from scratch before even getting into the dressing, but it’s a true labor of love.
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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.
How To Make This Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Prepare the Cornbread, Chicken Stock and Chicken
Step 1: Start by making the chicken stock by scratch (full info in the recipe card).
Step 2: Next make a batch of the Southern cornbread by Auntie Rose (full info in the recipe card).
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.
Mix the Dressing
Step 3: Crumble the cornbread into very small pieces and crumbs. Fold in your onions, celery, and green pepper until all your ingredients are well combined.
Step 4: Add the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and homemade stock and combine thoroughly.
Step 5: Place the slices of bread on top of the dressing mixture. Add the remaining chicken stock over the bread. Then break up the bread making sure it’s mixed thoroughly into the dressing mixture.
Step 6: Add the ground sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper and mix in until well seasoned.
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!
Assemble and Bake
Step 7: Start first with a layer of dressing mixture on the bottom of your pan. Top with a layer of shredded chicken.
Step 8: Repeat with another large layer of dressing, then chicken, and repeat, ending with dressing at the top of the pan.
Step 9: Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes covered with foil then 25-35 minutes without.
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.
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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
Recipe Tips
- 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.
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
Serving Suggestions
- 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.
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 Help
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
This post was originally published October 2019. It has been updated with new content and images.
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If I dont want to add the cooked chicken, do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe? The cornbread recipe is out of this world!
Thank you so much! You can omit the chicken but make sure you have a very flavorful stock.
Does it matter if the meal is yellow or white
It doesn’t. Based on preference.
Im trying to cook this recipe for Thanksgiving. But its only gonna be 3 people. How do I make less than what its calling for?
You can divide the recipe in 4 which is what we are planning to do.
Just like my mom made!
Love the recipe
Can cream of chicken soup be subbed for mushroom? We have someone with an allergy in our home
Yes it can!
So, I made this recipe for Easter dinner and had to use canned broth for my dressing because I didn’t have time or energy to make my own. I halved the recipe because I didn’t need 2 pans for my family of 5. I plan to keep this recipe, but I will make the following adjustments:
1. Cook onions, celery and bell pepper prior to putting in cornbread mixture 2. Add at least 2 Tbsp Sage 3. Add salt to cornbread mixture 4. Put in 2-3 eggs to bind it together 5. Put spats of butter on top while baking.
I think if I had of had the time to make my own chicken broth, it would not have needed the extra salt.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Thank u 4 posting this recipe bc I 4got the creamm soup.
So worth it
Can I cut this recipe down and make just one 9×13 pan,
or , if I make the whole recipe, can I freeze leftover dressing for later? Thank you. Janice