This best homemade Cornbread Dressing is made from scratch with a combination of cornbread and french bread, sautéed vegetables and fresh herbs.
I don't just wait for Thanksgiving to serve Cornbread Stuffing
I don't just wait for Thanksgiving to serve Cornbread StuffingAs soon as the weather gets cool my family begs me to make cornbread stuffing (aka cornbread dressing). The mix of soft cornbread and hearty bread cubes gives it the best flavor and texture—crispy on top, perfectly moist inside. My hardest decision each Thanksgivivng is whether to make Cornbread stuffing, or our traditional stuffing. I love that both can be made a day or two ahead, which means more time relaxing with my family on the big day without sacrificing a single bit of flavor.
Don't miss my other favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, like Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Fluff Salad, or Homemade Dinner Rolls.
How to make Cornbread Dressing:
Dry the Bread: Spread cornbread and bread cubes on baking sheets and let them dry out at room temperature for 1–2 days, or bake at 250°F for 30–45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until stale.
Assemble Stuffing: Sauté onion, celery, and herbs in butter over medium heat until softened. Pour over the dried bread cubes in a large bowl, then gradually toss with broth until evenly moistened.
Bake: Transfer mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake old fashioned cornbread dressing at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
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Recipe
Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 8×8 pan cornbread (I use my buttermilk cornbread recipe), cut into small cubes (about 7 cups dried)
- 1 loaf crusty french bread cut into small cubes (about 7 cups dried)
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 4 ribs celery , chopped
- 3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary , chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley , chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Dry cornbread and bread: Spread bread cubes onto large baking sheets and leave them out to dry for 1-2 days. For a fast method, dry them in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until bread is dry and stale.1 loaf crusty french bread, 1 8×8 pan cornbread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauté Veggies: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the onion, celery, basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley and cook for a few minutes until softened.¾ cup butter, 1 medium onion, 4 ribs celery, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- To a large mixing bowl add dried bread cubes. Pour in butter and vegetable mixture.
- Add broth: Gradually ladle the broth mixture onto the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Add more broth, just until everything is evenly moistened. Don't add too much broth or it will be more mushy and dense. Taste and add more herbs or salt, if needed.3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Bake: Pour mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If you want a thinner, crispier stuffing, bake in 2 9×13 pans.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe November 2013. Updated November 2018, November 2023 and November 2025.
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Great recipe – enjoyed at Thanksgiving!
Hi!! Happy Thanksgiving leftover days! I was looking for a dressing recipe similar to my family’s and yours is the closest! Normally my mom always make it, but this year it was my task! I used from scratch Italian bread (from my husband’s restaurant) bc we already had it at home and three packets of (not sweet!) cornbread mix. I do add green bell pepper— approximately 1.5 and 1.5 green apples, diced smoked ham and the meat from the turkey stock (see next step!). And because I spatchcock my turkey (to dry brine it) on Tuesday I make a slow cooked turkey stock (with the backbone, neck bone & gizzards) that I use to moisten the dressing. Definitely team no eggs! Got my mom and family’s stamp of approval!
This is the best stuffing I’ve ever made. Guests told me so. I did add 10 oz of mild ground pork sausage and 1 lb of cremini mushrooms. It was amazing! Thank you for sharing this hybrid recipe for those of us Yankees who favor bread stuffing but we’re cooking for cornbread-loving Southerners. We all loved it!
Wondering about the broth. In the video it looks like you add the broth right to the butter and vegetables on the stove, and then to the bread mixture. But in your instructions, it says to add the butter/veggie mix to the bread mixture and then ladle a broth over it?
Follow the recipe instructions.
I rarely see dressing recipes without egg. Can eggs be added to this recipe?
Where is the parsley used? I see it listed in ingredients, but not mentioned in recipe. Thanks.
Thanks Susan! It should be added at the same time as the rosemary. I updated the recipe. Thanks so much for letting us know that was missing. Hope you love the dressing!
-Stacy
Amazing recipe. I used bread I made a few days before and a package of cornbread made the day of, so I dried them out in the oven as suggested in the recipe. The only change I made was to add a little sage and just a smidge of poultry seasoning as I didn’t have rosemary on hand and wanted to try and incorporate it somehow. My husband was so happy with this dish, and I was too! He said it was his favorite part of our dinner for two. It was absolutely divine, and it will be our staple for dressing from here forward. Thank you for sharing it with the world!
Love this recipe! There’s only 1 change I will try next time and that’s to use regular vs honey cornbread. The honey flavor distracted a bit from the savory, delicious fresh herbs in my opinion…but it’s easy and tasty!! Thank you!
Best stuffing recipe out there! I also used your buttermilk cornbread recipe, and it was perfect!
My sister is a chef and recommended this recipe when I was complaining about the junk being sold at the grocery store. Hands down the best stuffing we’ve ever had. I will never buy it pre-made again.