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Homemade Cornbread Dressing
It is arguable that dressing (or stuffing if you hail from certain parts of the world) 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.
Cornbread Dressing with Mushrooms
The types of mushrooms you can use in this recipe are fairly limitless. You can use 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, which is 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/her self is super fair game.
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.
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Dressing Add-Ins
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 in a pan, so that the top gets crispy and browned. Or do some of each, if your gang is divided.
Skip the cream if anyone in your world can’t have dairy – the stuffing will still be fabulous.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing:
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, shallot and thyme. until the vegetables are all tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
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.
Other Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes:
- Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
- Simple Butter Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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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) and 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 9x 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 the 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!