Whether you call it cornbread dressing or cornbread stuffing, this recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving turkey! Cornbread brings just a touch of sweetness, while the cream of chicken soup gives the recipe a unique, creamy texture.
There’s a lot to get excited about on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey! Green bean casserole! Mashed potatoes! Pumpkin pie, apple pie, ALL THE PIE! One dish that tends to be more of an afterthought is the dressing. People like it, but is it really anyone’s favorite? Probably not… well, until this cornbread dressing recipe, at least!
Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe
So what makes this cornbread stuffing different? I’m glad you asked! First, there’s the cornbread. If you’ve only had stuffing made with stale white bread in the past, making it with cornbread is a whole new ballgame—it’s tender, just a touch sweet, and it completely transforms your dressing into something special. The recipe has all the savory flavors you expect—broth, onion, celery, garlic—but it also has cream of chicken soup.
Cream of chicken soup?
I know, right?! It’s a bit unexpected, but the result is something a little more like a cornbread dressing casserole rather than just your standard dressing. This is my family’s favorite Thanksgiving stuffing recipe and I’m excited to share it with you!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Butter
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Cream of chicken soup
- Eggs
- Poultry seasoning
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Jiffy cornbread mix – You’ll need to make the cornbread according to the package instructions.
Substitutions
- Garlic – You can use a half teaspoon of garlic powder (or add more to taste) instead of fresh garlic.
- Chicken broth – If you have turkey broth on hand, use that instead.
- Cream of chicken soup – Cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup work well, too!
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and coat a 3.5-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the Veggies: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
3. Combine the Stuffing Ingredients: Stir together the broth, the next 5 ingredients, and cooked vegetables in a large bowl. Crumble in the cornbread and stir to combine. Pour into the baking dish.
4. Bake: Bake the stuffing for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the center is set. Let the stuffing stand for 10 minutes, then serve.
Hint: You can get a head start on this recipe by making the cornbread a day or two in advance.
Variations
- Vegetarian – Use vegetable broth and cream of mushroom or celery soup.
- Herbed – Add minced thyme, rosemary, sage, or a combination of these for an herbed cornbread dressing.
- Make It a Meal – This recipe is also a great way to use leftover turkey! After adding the cornbread to the dressing mixture, fold in a cup or two of diced leftover turkey. You can sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top before baking.
FAQs
Technically speaking, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey, while a dressing is cooked in a baking dish. But in some regions of the country, it’s called stuffing whether or not it’s being made in the turkey.
The eggs help bind the dressing together to keep it from falling apart. It also keeps the dressing from drying out!
If you want to make cornbread dressing in advance, you can bake it and then refrigerate it for up to 2 days. (It will actually last 3 to 4 days in the fridge, but if you’re making it ahead to serve at Thanksgiving, I don’t think you want to chance it and make it 4 days in advance!)
Top Tip
Your dressing is done when the edges are nicely browned and the liquid is absorbed.
More Holiday Recipes To Enjoy
Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 6-ounce packages Jiffy cornbread mix, baked according to package directions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 3½-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.
- In a large bowl, stir together broth, next 5 ingredients, and cooked vegetables. Crumble cornbread into broth mixture, and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until center is set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
I made it. I forgot the eggs (oops) and it was still delicious. I made my own broth for extra flavor and added chicken to the dressing. I also took the suggestion and added sage and a little thyme. The dressing had a sweetness to it that I really enjoyed. My guest was pleasantly surprised. Good recipe. Thank you.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review!
I made this today, 2 days before Thanksgiving. I’ll probably have to make it again cause I’m just eating it right out of the pan. It’s so darn delish! I’m 83 years old and need to cut back on work for the holidays. Your recipe sure helped me out. Thanks ever so much!
Thank you, Dona! We’re so glad you enjoy it and hope it helps make holiday prep easier for you.
Great recipe except I would not use Jiffy. I would buy yellow corn meal and make corn bread without the sugar. Jiffy is too sweet to use for stuffing in my opinion. But all the other ingredients sounds great to me!
Thank you for the feedback! We would love to know how it goes if you give it a try.
Delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Lady that is NOT a good recipe for cornbread dressing. First when making cornbread dressing make your cornbread from scratch two to three days before making the dressing , then add 3 pieces of toast. The drier the cornbread the better.
Cook and SEASON chicken thighs and cut up to add to the dressing.
Girl stick to stuffing 😂🤣
Girl you are just rude! Don’t like don’t make it and move along. Girl Bize!!
i added some red and green pepper. i also added some turkey thigh meat i pressure cooked to get the stock which i added to this recipe. i added a little more stock than called for to get the right consistincy. now, bring on thanksgiving!!!
Delicious dressing. That would be hard to beat!
Glad you enjoy it!
I ❤ Ur recipes. They are so easy to make. Thank You!!
We’re so happy to hear that you love this recipe!
We like to keep it easy and delish over at All Things Mamma! Thanks for trying our recipes 🙂