Southern US · Sides

Southern cornbread dressing

Name: Southern cornbread dressing
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 9 h 40 min
Yield: 10 side servings
Cuisine: Southern US
Ingredients: 1 cup plain yellow cornmeal; 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 2 large eggs, divided; 1 cup buttermilk; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 4 slices firm white sandwich bread, cubed and dried; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 4 celery ribs, diced; 2 teaspoons rubbed sage; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey stock, divided; 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Savory skillet cornbread baked with celery, onion, sage, stock, and a custardy center under a crisp top.

About 9 hr 40 minTotal

About 1 hr 40 minActive

$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 10 side servings

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 10 side servings

1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 large eggs, divided
1 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 slices firm white sandwich bread, cubed and dried
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 celery ribs, diced
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey stock, divided
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

At least 8 hours ahead, heat oven to 425°F with a inside. Whisk cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk 1 egg with buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter, then stir into dry ingredients just until combined.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the hot skillet, add batter, and bake 18 to 22 minutes until browned and set. Cool, crumble onto a sheet pan with the bread cubes, and leave uncovered 8 hours or dry in a 250°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes. This advance drying is why the recipe is the batch's one holiday project.
For the dressing, heat oven to 375°F and butter a 3-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet; cook onion and celery 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Stir in sage, thyme, pepper, and remaining salt for 30 seconds.
Combine dried cornbread, bread cubes, vegetables, and parsley. Whisk remaining egg with 3 cups stock, pour over, and fold gently. Add more stock until thoroughly moist and cohesive but not soupy; the exact amount depends on how dry the bread is.
Spread in the dish without packing. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until the center reaches 165°F, edges are browned, and top is crisp. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Dressing is baked separately; do not put this mixture inside a turkey.

Southern United StatesSouthern American household and holiday cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Southern cornbread dressing is a baked side distinct from bread stuffing cooked inside a bird, built from dried cornbread, aromatics, herbs, stock, and a crisp exposed top.

Across much of the American South, dressing means a savory cornbread-based holiday casserole baked beside the bird; stuffing more often names bread cooked inside it. Recipes vary intensely by family. This version is intentionally traditional and savory—cornbread, a little white bread for structure, onion, celery, sage, stock, and egg—with no sausage or canned soup obscuring the foundational form. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Author the foundational scratch-cornbread branch without sausage or canned soup, disclose the overnight drying and stock judgment explicitly, and bake outside the bird for predictable texture and safety.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe