The Best Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipes FAQ

Are you looking for a delicious dressing for your next family holiday? Here are all the how-to’s and tips for the best southern cornbread dressing.

Many people have their own family recipe, and they probably all differ somewhat. It all comes down to personal preference.

I shared my mom’s Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe some time ago, and I received several questions. Since I found out that so many people serve cornbread dressing for Easter as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought I would address some of the questions.

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Answer:

Southern Cornbread Dressing is pretty much a staple for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes Easter in a Southern household. It is similar to cornbread stuffing, but dressing is made in a separate dish, such as a baking dish or pan instead of putting it inside the turkey.

The dressing mixture is made up of cornbread, some type of bread, broth, vegetables, eggs, and a variety of spices or fresh herbs. It is then baked into a moist and delicious dish. 

Answer:

There are many things that go with Southern Cornbread Dressing, but a few items really stand out above the rest. Most of these are items you would find on a typical Thanksgiving table. Although cornbread dressing is considered a starch, other starches pair nicely with it.

• Meat: Turkey, Chicken, Baked Ham
• Vegetables: Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Macaroni & Cheese, Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn, or Corn Casserole
• Other Food Items: Giblet Gravy (made with the turkey drippings), Turkey Gravy, Buttered Rolls

Answer:  

Absolutely! Since I was a little girl, I remember my grandmother always adding a hen (shredded) into her dressing. A turkey or a hen pair very nicely with the dressing. Be sure the meat is cooked before adding it to the dressing mixture.

Answer:

Yes, you most definitely can prepare it in advance of the day. In fact, it helps take some of the pressure off of all of the meal preparations if you make the dressing early. There are several things you can do early to make the dressing preparation easier:

• Make a batch of cornbread (or 2 if you are making a double recipe) a few days before you plan to assemble the southern dressing. You can find my parents’ homemade cornbread recipe here.

• Cook the biscuits ahead of time and crumble them together with the cornbread. You can even use leftover biscuits to save time.
• Boil and chop the eggs, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

• Chop all vegetables and store them in the refrigerator.
• You can plan when you will cook the dressing, depending on how much refrigerator space you have to store it. – If you have space for the baking dish of cornbread dressing, you can go ahead and prepare the dressing mixture a day or two before, cover it, and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cook it. This is easier than putting it all together to cook on the day you are serving it, especially if you are cooking other parts of the meal as well.

Side Note: We make a double recipe of cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving, and freeze one of them to serve at Christmas. It works great and saves lots of time.

Answer:

You can freeze cornbread dressing either before you bake it or when it is fully cooked. Either way is fine, but I find it easier to go ahead and bake it and then freeze it.

In both situations, the dressing should be in a freezer-safe container such as an aluminum baking dish. Cover the dish well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and write the date on the top. The dressing can be frozen for about 3 months before it starts to lose it’s flavor.

When you are ready to cook the dressing, move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. The next day, warm it in the oven or bake according to the directions if it wasn’t baked beforehand.

Answer:

Because cornbread dressing is made with eggs, you want to keep all leftovers refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Answer:

You can use packaged cornbread mix to make the cornbread for the dressing, however, be aware that different mixes have different flavors. Some mixes are pretty sweet instead of savory. This will change the taste of the dressing.

If you are looking to make your own cornbread, my parents have an easy but delicious recipe.

Answer:

There are so many recipes and options for cornbread dressing, and I love them all. I have a handwritten recipe from a sweet lady who wrote her dressing recipe out for me one day many years ago. It calls for a dash of this and a dash of that. You have to taste it to make sure you don’t need another dash of something else. I have never tried to make her recipe, but I enjoyed it many times. It was one of the best cornbread dressing recipes I have eaten. 

My mother-in-law used to make hers with Cream of Chicken soup, and she added pecans. It was different but so delicious.

I use my mom’s recipe, and I love it! It calls for simple ingredients, and it is so good!

Ingredients: Cornbread, Biscuits, Chicken Broth, Celery, Raw eggs, Boiled Eggs, Onion, Sage, Black Pepper

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If you are trying cornbread dressing for the first time and don’t have a recipe, feel free to use my mom’s recipe. I think you will love it!

See the full recipe with a printable recipe card at this link. It is the perfect side dish that is sure to be a family favorite.

These are a few of the items I found to be very helpful in making cornbread dressing.

• Large Roasting Pan – This was larger than any bowls I could find. Since I was making a double recipe, this was very helpful!
• Vegetable Chopper
• Cast Iron Skillet for the cornbread
• Aluminum Disposable Pans
• Oil Sprayer

I hope this answered some of your questions about making Southern Cornbread Dressing. There are so many recipes and options to make this classic dish, so you may still have questions. Feel free to ask in the comments.

Southern Cornbread Dressing doesn’t just have to be for Thanksgiving dinner. Anytime can be the perfect time. Enjoy!

My Dad’s Easy Baked Ham Recipe
Jay’s Secret Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Until next time,

disclosure: Amazon affiliate links and others are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.” Genesis 9:3

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