Southern Cornbread Dressing

5 from 17 votes

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern Cornbread Dressing is a Thanksgiving staple - the combination of sweet cornbread and savory sausage is so delicious. The celery and onions add such a wonderful crunch and the creamy soup brings it all together.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: cornbread dressing, cornbread stuffing, southern cornbread dressing, southern cornbread stuffing

Cooking Method: Oven

Servings:

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a 13x9 baking dish
measuring spoons
measuring cups
a mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 large pan of cornbread I use this recipe
1 pound sausage
1 large red onion diced
3 - 4 stalks celery diced (this should be about 2 cups)
½ cup butter 1 stick

Gravy Mix

2 cups chicken broth chicken stock or turkey stock will also work
1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch marjoram

Instructions

The first step is to make your favorite cornbread recipe and then let it cool.
1 large pan of cornbread
Once the cornbread is ready, cook the Italian Sausage. Once it is cooked, drain off the grease and set it off to the side.
1 pound sausage
Cook the onion and celery in the butter until the onions are translucent and the celery is soft - about 5 minutes.
1 large red onion, 3 - 4 stalks celery, ½ cup butter
Once the cornbread is cooled off enough to handle, crumble it into a large bowl. Add the drained sausage and cooked celery and onions to the same bowl, along with any butter left in the pan and gently toss it all together.
Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish and spread it out.
In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together spices, cream of chicken soup, and broth.
2 cups chicken broth, 1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried sage, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 pinch nutmeg, 1 pinch marjoram
Pour the soup mixture over the cornbread - trying to cover as much as you can. Do not stir.
Bake the cornbread dressing at 350°F for 30 - 35 minutes, uncovered.
When the dressing is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Yield

This recipe should make 12 servings, but if you have big eaters, you might end up with 8 - 10.

🥫 How to Store Cornbread Dressing

Once cooled, store leftovers in the refrigerator. Reheat in the toaster oven, microwave, or in the oven. I like to use the oven over the microwave because it makes the cornbread chunks nice and crispy. It is hard to explain but it is so good!

📋 Tips

Don't overmix - cornbread chunks will get broken up and the end result will be soggy dressing.
Pour the "gravy" over the dressing to prevent overmixing. Sure, this will leave a few bites "undressed" but then you will have this delicious toasty cornbread mixed with the gravy drenched bites - it is really delicious.
Serve leftovers for lunch - this cornbread dressing is delicious even as a standalone meal. It would be a really easy lunch prepare on Sunday then have for a few days.

Nutrition