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Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern cornbread dressing is baked with sage, poultry seasoning, and chicken broth for a moist, tender center and a golden top. Homemade cornbread forms the base, with softened onion and celery mixed throughout.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cornbread
  • 1 nonstick cooking spray for the pans
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons table salt divided
  • 4 eggs large, divided
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter divided
For the dressing
  • 1 yellow onion medium, finely chopped
  • 3 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 3.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan
  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Make the cornbread
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs with the buttermilk and 1/4 cup melted butter.
  5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool completely.
  9. Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl.
Make the dressing
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add the onion and celery.
  5. Cook for 8–10 minutes until softened.
  6. Add the vegetables, remaining 2 eggs, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper to the crumbled cornbread.
  7. Pour in the broth.
  8. Stir until evenly moistened.
  9. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
  10. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until golden on top and the center reaches 160°F.
  11. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, let the cornbread cool completely before crumbling. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze them; for a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.