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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern cornbread dressing combines homemade cornbread and crisp dried bread with tender onion, celery, and rubbed sage. Baked covered and then uncovered, it comes out moist inside with a golden, set top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 49 minutes
Resting 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 24 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pans
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil divided
For the cornbread
  • 1.5 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs large
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter melted
For the dressing
  • 4 cup white sandwich bread cubed
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1.5 cup celery finely chopped
  • 2 tsp rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 eggs large

Equipment

  • 1 8-inch square baking pan
  • 1 baking sheet
  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Make the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil.
  2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 eggs, then whisk in the melted butter.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely in the pan.
Dry the bread
  1. Reduce the oven to 250°F and spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet.
  2. Bake for 25–35 minutes, stirring once, until dry and crisp.
Assemble and bake the dressing
  1. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
  2. Crumble all the cooled cornbread into a large bowl with the dried bread cubes.
  3. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the onion and celery, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
  4. Stir the cooked vegetables, sage, salt, and pepper into the bread mixture.
  5. Whisk the broth with the remaining 2 eggs and pour over the mixture, folding until evenly moistened.
  6. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
  7. Uncover and bake for 15–20 minutes more, until golden on top, set in the center, and at least 160°F in the center.
  8. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, dry the bread cubes until crisp and let the cornbread cool completely before crumbling. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freezer-friendly for up to 3 months. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian variation.