Southern Cornbread Dressing

This Southern Cornbread Dressing is so delicious and moist, you don't need to cover it up with gravy!  Why? Because it's perfectly seasoned with onions, celery, sage, and poultry seasoning. And the cream of chicken soup guarantees it'll be rich and moist!

Oh, and it has that texture we all love: crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Don't you just love cornbread dressing season 🙂

This holiday classic is true Southern comfort food. Serve it as a Thanksgiving side dish or during the Christmas holidays next to your turkey, ham, or roast. Just be prepared for it to steal the show!

This dressing is my family's most favorite holiday side dish.  As a bonus, it's easy to make! Let's be real...planning for a Thanksgiving feast can be hectic, especially if you're doing the bulk of the cooking. Luckily, this recipe can be made in advance so all you have to do is pop it in the oven on the day of your get together!

This traditional dressing contains no bread - just cornbread - and that's the way a lot of us eat it here in the South!  If we added bread, then we would sometimes call it stuffing. Down here, we don't usually stuff our dressing into the turkey, only our mouths!

Need another side dish for your holiday feast? Try my Sweet Potato Casserole, or for a change of pace, try my Southern English Pea Salad! Green bean casserole is another must have side dish for Thanksgiving; add this Cream Cheese and Bacon Green Bean Casserole next to the cornbread dressing!

As I stated earlier, this Southern cornbread dressing is very moist and flavorful. That means there's no need to drown it in gravy, but this Southern gal won't judge if you do.  It is the one holiday side dish that everyone in my family always looks forward to. 

So, what makes this dressing so moist?  I'm about to let you in on a big secret: the addition of a can of cream of chicken soup is the key ingredient!  Without it, you could end up with a fancy pan of cornbread. And the best part is that the secret is something that is so easy to use!

While cornbread dressing is often served during the holidays, it's a versatile dish that can be enjoyed throughout the year. It pairs well with various proteins like roasted chicken, pork chops, grilled vegetables, and even salmon; making it a great side dish for different occasions.

Baked Cornbread - First up, you're going to need some cornbread. I like to make my own cornbread using a cornmeal mix because it contains the perfect blend of cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Minced Celery and Onion - Next up, you're going to need some minced celery and onion for all of that aromatic flavor.

Cream of Chicken Soup and Chicken Broth - You're also going to need chicken broth (homemade or boxed is just fine!) and a can of cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup. It might sound strange, but I swear the soup concentrate gives this cornbread stuffing an absolutely rich and dreamy consistency.

Egg and Butter - You'll use one raw egg to bind the ingredients, and you'll use the butter to saute the onion and celery.  Butter also adds moisture and flavor! 

Seasonings - Finally, round things out with some ground sage, poultry seasoning, and freshly cracked black pepper. If you're not a fan of sage, use half the amount called for or simply leave it out.

I want you to have the best results making my Southern Cornbread Dressing! So please follow the actual recipe card at the bottom of the post when making it.

Step 1 - Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add the minced onion and celery. Simmer until tender.  Remove from heat.

Step 2 - In a large bowl, combine cooked and crumbled cornbread, cream of chicken soup, broth, egg, and seasonings. Add the onion and celery mixture and mix well.

How moist should the dressing be before baking? The dressing should be thick and moist (see picture below). There should not be any excess broth pooling around.

Step 3 - Pour cornbread mixture into prepared dish and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until lightly golden browned.

How do you know when the dressing is done? The center of the dressing should be set (not jiggly). That said, be careful not to over bake the cornbread dressing, or it may get dry.

My top tips for this Southern Cornbread Dressing!

Try to make the cornbread a day in advance or at least several hours before you plan to prepare the dressing.  It needs time to completely cool so that you can use your fingers to crumble the cornbread.

When making your own cornbread, whole milk works well.  However, some of my fellow Southerners feel it's an absolute travesty to use anything other than buttermilk when making cornbread in the South. So if you feel you must use buttermilk, use it, girl! 

For this recipe, I prefer to finely mince the onions and celery for the right dressing consistency. However, some family members prefer chopped onions and celery (larger pieces).  This article from Kitchn explains How to Chop, Dice, and Mince an Onion.  I love my mini food chopper and use it all the time for chopping and mincing.

I don't recommend using Jiffy cornbread mix because it's just too sweet.  This is a savory dressing which means it is not meant to be sweet.

If you tried this deliciously easy Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe, please be sure to rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!