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This Easy Cornbread Dressing recipe, or stuffing if you prefer, is a must for a family's Thanksgiving dinner table. At our house, it would not be Thanksgiving without it. Hopefully, it will become your favorite too.
Our family recipe is an easy shortcut version of a traditional Southern cornbread dressing recipe. Instead of making my homemade cornbread recipe from scratch, we use the store-bought Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing, which contains the dried cornbread cubes or cornbread crumbles as some call them.
Cornbread Dressing – A Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish
Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving if there were no cornbread dressing on our holiday table alongside the turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry fluff, or cranberry sauce, or if you prefer Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce.
When I was a kid the food I looked forward to the most at Thanksgiving was the cornbread dressing. The only time we had it was at Thanksgiving. So it became extra special.
It was one of the few times of year that the entire family was together around one table. My Dad had time off work and did the cooking, which was another reason to look forward to Thanksgiving time because he was an outstanding cook. This is my favorite recipe because it was my Dad’s recipe that he served for our family Thanksgiving dinners.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It has a wonderful cornbread flavor with celery, onions, parsley, poultry seasoning, and sage!
It is a quick and easy shortcut recipe for cornbread stuffing for when you don’t have the time to make cornbread from scratch and let it dry for a couple of days.
It is not a new recipe. This is a tried and true family recipe that has been made and served at Thanksgiving dinners for decades.
The Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing gives it just the right texture. It has golden-brown toasted cornbread cubes or crumbles and is not too soggy and not too firm. So you will be proud to have it on your Thanksgiving table.
There is no cream of chicken soup or cream of anything soup in this recipe.
HOMEMADE CORNBREAD OR CORNBREAD STUFFING MIX?
This recipe is a shortcut recipe for those who may not have time to make the cornbread a day or two ahead of time, and let it dry out.
This recipe uses a prepackaged dry cornbread stuffing mix to save time, yet it is still delicious. Be sure to buy the cornbread stuffing mix (I like Pepperidge Farm) and NOT the cornbread mix.
However, if you want to make the cornbread dressing/stuffing from scratch, just substitute my Easy Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread recipe for the prepackaged cornbread stuffing mix and let the cornbread dry out for at least 24 hours. Some people like to combine white bread crumbs with the crumbled cornbread
For me, the deciding factor about whether to use cornbread or cornbread stuffing mix is the amount of time I have before I have to serve it. If I have two days available before Thanksgiving to prepare for the holiday dinner, then I will make cornbread. However, if I'm working up until Thanksgiving, then I will use the cornbread stuffing mix instead of making cornbread.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE EASY CORNBREAD DRESSING
Equipment:
- Mixing Bowl Set – This set includes a Large mixing bowl, Medium Bowl, and Small bowl, and will be used often for many recipes.
- Slotted spoon – This spoon is perfect when trying to separate out the solid food from the liquid, like lifting vegetables out of the broth.
- Wooden spoon – I like to use a wooden spoon for sauteing vegetables.
- Large skillet, saute pan, Large Dutch Oven, large 12-inch cast-iron skillet – for sauteing the vegetables.
- Large baking dish – You’ll need this for baking the stuffing in the oven. I use a baking dish all the time. It is good to have a nice one on hand.
Ingredients:
- Butter – I highly recommend using real butter and not margarine. It makes a difference in the flavor.
- Onion – I used a white onion. However, you could use yellow onions or Vidalia onions, or even green onions.
- Celery – Chop up some fresh celery. This adds a nice crunch to the stuffing.
- Fresh Parsley – In my opinion, it is not stuffing without the chopped parsley. Fresh is best for this cornbread recipe.
- Cornbread Stuffing Mix – I like to use Pepperidge Farm stuffing. However, if you are a Stovetop Stuffing fan, then you could use that.
- Sage – I like to add dried sage to the stuffing because it adds so much flavor.
- Poultry Seasoning – This is a seasoning mix called poultry seasoning that, when combined with sage, really gives it that “stuffing” flavor.
- Black Pepper – I like to use freshly cracked black pepper.
- Chicken Broth or Chicken stock – I recommend using a reduced-sodium or no salt added broth because that allows you to have better control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
Optional Ingredients:
- Sausages like Andouille Sausage or Italian Sausage
- Hard-boiled eggs
Start out by sautéing fresh celery and onions in butter. If you want you can add minced garlic as well.
Empty the bag of cornbread stuffing mix into a large bowl and add the sautéed vegetables on top. Then pour the chicken broth over the top. Then add the sage, black pepper, and poultry seasoning.
Spoon the cornbread dressing into a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes.
TIPS FOR PERFECT EASY CORNBREAD DRESSING
I like to add additional seasoning to the cornbread stuffing mix, including poultry seasoning and sage, which is delicious but strong.
If you are not used to the taste of sage, for the first time you make the recipe, you may want to add half the amount of sage to start out with and see how you like it. You can always add more.
I would also recommend using the amount of chicken broth as a guide. Add it slowly to get the stuffing just moist enough. The chopped celery and onions give the stuffing great flavor and texture.
That is all there is to making this Easy Cornbread Dressing. Give it a try before Thanksgiving so you can tweak the amounts of seasoning to your taste.
Serve it with the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, such as green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole. Enjoy!
What other recipes will you be serving with this Easy Cornbread Dressing?
Now that you have learned to make this cornbread dressing, will you be making it for your Thanksgiving feast? What other recipes will you be serving with this Easy Cornbread Dressing?
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 packages cornbread stuffing mix I use Pepperidge Farm
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth or as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped celery and onion into the skillet and cook until slightly soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Empty the bags of the cornbread stuffing mix into a large bowl.
- Pour the vegetable mixture over the bread mixture.
- Add the chicken broth and mix well. Add additional broth if necessary to get the necessary moistness.
- Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning.
- Pour mixture into a baking pan and bake in a preheated oven until dressing is heated through about 30 minutes.
For more Thanksgiving Recipes check out Flavor Mosaic’s Thanksgiving Recipe Collection.
Here is a recipe for an easy and excellent Sweet Potato Casserole.
How about adding this Homemade Green Bean Casserole to your Thanksgiving table.
How about this Pumpkin Praline Bread Pudding for dessert!
Cindy says
My mother in law made the dressing. She had passed, and she gave my husband the recipe, 1 onion, 3 celery, broth, jiffy mix, stove top,salt, pepper and sage to taste. Told him this is not a recipe, it is a grocery list. He said just make it as she said. This is why I’m looking for a recipe that could fill in the gaps. Thank you for your time and any info you may have, cindy
Cindy says
My mother in law that passed, made the dressing. She gave my husband the recipe. This was it, 3 celery, 1 onion, some broth, jiffy corn bread mix, stove top, salt pepper and sage to taste. Told my husband, this is not a recipe, it is a grocery list. He said just make it as she said. I’m trying to peice together the recipe with jiffy corn bread mix. Thank you for your time, Cindy
Maybe you viewers may have a idea.Thank you again
Michele says
H Cindy, one of the reasons I started this blog was because we were losing family recipes as the older generations passed away. So I understand your dilemma. This cornbread dressing is basically an interpretation of my father’s recipe. Anyway, Instead of using the Pepperidge farm stuffing, you could substitute the Stove Top and add cornbread that you made with the Jiffy Mix. I’ve never used Jiffy in a stuffing, only in my Corn Casserole. Maybe someone else would have a more specific recipe suggestion for you.
Rhonda says
The recipe list says 2 packages Pepperidge Farm. The directions say “the bag”. Do I use 2 bags for one recipe? Thanks!
Michele says
Hi Rhonda,
It is 2 bags.
Michele
Liz says
What size of bag 12
Michele says
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the question. It is a 12-ounce bag of Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing.
Thanks,
Michele
Patty says
I was wondering if this recipe was gluten free. I want to try this but need it to be gluten free.
Michele says
Hi Patty, no, this recipe is not gluten-free. I used Pepperidge Farm brand cornbread stuffing mix, which is not gluten free. I understand that Glutino brand cornbread stuffing mix is gluten-free, or you can make your own. Here’s a gluten free recipe that you can make: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-cornbread-stuffing/
I hope that helps.
Thanks,
Michele
JC says
Can you prepare this the day before and just cook on Thanksgiving?
Michele says
Hi JC,
Yes, you can do that. Be sure to cover and refrigerate it overnight. You can check the dressing before you bake it to see if it might need a little more broth added.
Thanks,
Michele