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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern cornbread dressing is baked with crumbled homemade cornbread, sautéed onion and celery, and savory sage and poultry seasoning. The top turns golden while the broth-moistened center stays tender.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 2 minutes
Resting 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 42 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 385
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cornbread
  • 3 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp table salt
  • 6 eggs large; divided (3 for the cornbread and 3 for the dressing)
  • 2.5 cups buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
For the dressing
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion large; finely chopped
  • 4 celery stalks; finely chopped
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 2 rimmed baking sheets
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Make the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  4. In a second bowl, whisk 3 eggs with the buttermilk and oil.
  5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cornbread completely in the dish.
  8. Crumble the cornbread onto two rimmed baking sheets.
  9. Heat the oven to 250°F.
  10. Dry the crumbs for 30–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, then set aside.
Make the dressing
  1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and celery and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  3. In a 6-quart bowl, whisk the remaining 3 eggs with the sage, poultry seasoning, and black pepper.
  4. Add the cornbread crumbs and cooked vegetables.
  5. Stir in the broth until evenly moistened.
  6. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease the same 9x13-inch baking dish.
  7. Transfer the mixture to the dish and bake for 45–55 minutes, until the top is golden and the center reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  8. Rest the dressing for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

For tender dressing, stir the broth in until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free variation, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour and verify that the broth and seasonings are gluten-free.