Cornbread Dressing
on Nov 05, 2021, Updated Nov 20, 2023
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This is the cornbread dressing (or stuffing!) we all want on the holiday table: satisfying, flavorful, moist, and filled with texture and color.
It is arguable that dressing (or stuffing if you hail from certain parts of the country) is one of the items people look forward to most on a Thanksgiving table. I’d put it solidly in my top three favorite holiday meal items.
I love making stuffing or dressing with all kinds of bread, but I might like making it with cornbread the most. I make one batch of my Easy Cornbread and leave it out overnight to dry out before cooking it up into this dressing. You can also absolutely use storebought cornbread as a shortcut, and then this stuffing comes together very quickly. This recipe makes a dressing that is moist but not soggy, with great texture and flavor.
This cornbread dressing goes perfectly with my roasted Cajun Turkey, Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans, and Sweet Potato Casserole. Your Thanksgiving guests will be so happy!
Table of Contents
Cornbread Dressing: This is the dressing (or stuffing!) we all want on the holiday table: satisfying, flavorful, moist but not soggy, and filled with texture and color. Vegetarian-friendly.
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Cornbread Dressing Ingredients
The ingredients for this traditional Southern cornbread dressing recipe are very classic and easily available.
- Unsalted butter – For sautéing the vegetables and adding great flavor.
- Onions – The onions soften into the dressing and get super soft.
- Celery – Adds a subtle flavor and gets nice and soft when cooked.
- Carrots – Add color and sweetness.
- Mushrooms – I use a blend button and shiitake mushrooms for optimal texture and flavor. But you can use whatever mushrooms you like.
- Shallot – Adds a little more oniony sweetness.
- Herbs – Thyme and sage combine to give this dressing freshness and fragrance. You can use fresh or dried in this recipe.
- Cornbread – Make a pan of cornbread ahead of time, cut it into cubes, and leave it out for a day to get stale. This will help it absorb the liquid. Or, just a cornbread mix, or just buy your cornbread if you’re out of time!
- Dry white wine – Adds a little acidity.
- Vegetable broth – Feel free to use chicken or turkey broth if you have it, but vegetable works just fine and makes this recipe vegetarian.
- Heavy or light cream – Makes this dressing rich and luxurious.
Mushrooms in Cornbread Dressing
The types of mushrooms you can use in this recipe are fairly limitless. You can use a less expensive button or cremini, but since this stuffing is so much about the mushrooms, go for the shiitakes if at all possible. If you’re REALLY splurging, definitely go for all wild mushrooms, perhaps a mix of a few different kinds.
I love the meatiness-without-the-meat quality the mushrooms add to this dish. It’s especially welcome if the vegetarians at the Thanksgiving table are making a meal out of the side dishes, as they do in my family. To keep this dressing vegetarian, make sure to use vegetable broth.
If you have extra time, you might sauté the mushrooms separately to let them gain maximum flavor and texture and then blend them in. If you are in a hurry (and during the holidays, who are we kidding, when are you not?), just sauté all of the vegetables together. Anything one can do to make the holidays easier on him/herself is super fair game.
Cornbread Dressing Variations
- If you’re not looking for a vegetarian stuffing, you can also mix in some browned and crumbled sausage or some crumbled crispy bacon or pancetta for extra flavor (add any additional salt judiciously if you do that, as the pork will add some saltiness).
- You can certainly cook this in the turkey, should you be so inclined, but I rather love it baked in a pan so that the top gets crispy and browned. Or do some of each. If your gang is divided, just make sure to let the stuffing come to 165 degrees while inside the turkey.
- Skip the cream if anyone in your world can’t have dairy — the stuffing will still be fabulous.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing:
- Sauté the vegetables: Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, shallot, and thyme in the butter until the vegetables are all tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add liquid: Place the cornbread in the prepared baking pan, then drizzle over 1 cup of the broth and the cream (feel free to drizzle over up to ½ cup of turkey drippings if desired, but note that the dressing will no longer be vegetarian). Toss well.
- Add vegetables: Add the vegetables and toss to combine. If the mixture still seems a bit dry, add in as much as another ½ cup of the vegetable broth.
- Bake: Return the mixture to the prepared baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or so until the stuffing is firm and the top is browned and crispy.
What to Serve With Cornbread Dressing
More Dressing Recipes:
- Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Bread Stuffing with Turkey Sausage
- Corn Pudding
- Sweet Potato Spoon Bread
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Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 pound button mushrooms (trimmed and roughly chopped)
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms (trimmed and roughly chopped)
- 1 minced large minced shallot
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme or sage)
- Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 recipe cornbread (cubed; about 6 cups; left to sit on a baking sheet for one day; or use an 8- or 9-inch square pan of purchased cornbread)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 to 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup heavy or light cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Butter a 9-x 13-inch baking pan or another shallow 3-quart baking dish.
- In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, shallot and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and sauté everything until all of the liquid is evaporated (the mushrooms will release liquid as they start to cook) and the vegetables are all tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine, stir to scrape up any browned bit stuck to the bottom of the pan, and sauté for another couple of minutes until it is almost evaporated.
- Place the cornbread in the prepared baking pan, then drizzle over 1 cup of the broth and the cream (feel free to drizzle over up to ½ cup of turkey drippings if desired, but note that the dressing will no longer be vegetarian). Toss well. Add the vegetables and toss to combine. If the mixture still seems a bit dry, add in as much as another ½ cup of the vegetable broth.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or so until the stuffing is firm and the top is browned and crispy.
Notes
- The types of mushrooms you can use in this recipe are fairly limitless. You can use a less expensive button or cremini, but since this stuffing is so much about the mushrooms, go for the shiitakes if at all possible. If you’re REALLY splurging, definitely go for all wild mushrooms, perhaps a mix of a few different kinds.
- If you’re not looking for a vegetarian stuffing, you can also mix in some browned and crumbled sausage or some crumbled crispy bacon or pancetta for extra flavor (add any additional salt judiciously if you do that, as the pork will add some saltiness).
- You can certainly cook this in the turkey, should you be so inclined, but I rather love it baked in a pan so that the top gets crispy and browned. Or do some of each. If your gang is divided, just make sure to let the stuffing come to 165 degrees on the inside of the turkey.
- Skip the cream if anyone in your world can’t have dairy – the stuffing will still be fabulous.
Just in case you’re sitting there checking your messages…recipe sounds great and I’m about to make it, but I work most of the day tomorrow so hoping to have it fully prepped and then bring it my friend’s house and just do a quick heat up before dinner. Would you recommend doing the full recipe and just heating up? Or don’t cook quite as much and put in oven to finish tomorrow? Not real experienced with this sort of thing :)
don’t cook quite as much and put in oven to finish tomorrow! but either will be fine!
Will this be yummy if it’s premade and frozen? If so, at what point should I freeze it? I’m guessing I could assemble it all and freeze, thaw the night before, and bake on Thanksgiving Day. Has anyone tried doing this?
that sounds like a good plan!