Cornbread Dressing

5 from 2 votes

Lightly sweetened, buttery Cornbread Dressing, loaded with herbs. Perfectly moist with a golden crust on the top. The perfect side dish for your family meals!

Prep Time1

Cook Time40

Total Time1 40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings:

Author: Serene

Ingredients

1 batch cornbread (8x8 pan) approx 800g
4 slices thick sliced white bread
½ cup butter unsalted
½ cup onion finely diced
2 stalks celery finely diced
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth low or no sodium
2 large eggs beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300℉.
Cut the cornbread and white bread into 3/4 inch cubes. (I find that the cornbread bakes up thick, so I slice the entire loaf into cubes, then lay each row over and slice in half lengthwise again to get just the right size)
Spread onto a large baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 300 for 30-60 minutes (usually takes about 45 mins) until dried out, gently shuffle the bread cubes about 20 minutes through baking. (Bread should be fairly dried out and crisp to the touch, like a crouton. If not dried out the dressing will be mushy. The cornbread will not be as crisp as the white bread, but should still be fairly dried)
Preheat oven to 375℉.
In a medium size saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened.
Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper and pour in the chicken broth. Heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings/herbs as needed.
Add the bread crumbs to a 2 1/2 qt baking dish, ladle broth mixture over the bread crumbs until entire mixture is moistened, not soggy.
Beat the eggs, pour over the dressing, gently stir the dressing to coat the bread crumbs (be gentle since the cornbread will easily crumble)
Cover with foil and Bake for 20-25 at 375, remove foil and bake an additional 15 mins.

Video

Notes

Cornbread: Make it a day beforehand, this helps it dry out slightly overnight making it easier to cube and quicker to dry out in the oven.
White Bread: get a nice thick sliced white bread from the market. Texas toast style is perfect for using to make homemade dressing.
Seasonings & Herbs: this recipe is written using dried herbs for ease. To use fresh herbs increase the amount to 1 tbsp instead of 1 tsp.
Prep Ahead: To prepare this dish ahead of time, prepare the dressing recipe and instead of baking, cover and store in the refrigerator. Can be stored overnight. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking to allow the dish to come to room temperature before baking. Baking time might need to be increased an additional 10 minutes.
Storage: store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: freeze unbaked dressing by preparing in a greased baking dish, covering with plastic wrap, then wrap in foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove to the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 375 degrees F per the recipe. May need longer if going into the oven cold. Use an instant read thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 165 degrees F to test doneness.

Nutrition