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Golden brown cornbread dressing in a small baking dish with a soft center and crisp, buttery edges.
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Cornbread Dressing Recipe

This small batch Southern cornbread dressing is rich, savory, and perfectly seasoned. Soft in the middle, golden on top and full of flavor. It's a classic must have on the holiday table.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: southern, thanksgiving
Servings: 4 servings
Author: August DeWindt

Ingredients

Cornbread:

  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • ¼ c buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 6 tbsp yellow cornmeal
  • 5 tbsp all purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder

Dressing:

  • 1 slice stale white bread optional but adds depth & soaks up liquid
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup onions chopped
  • ¼ cup celery chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon sage chopped or dried sage seasoning
  • ½ tsp Poultry seasoning
  • Pinch of salt & pepper
  • ¾ cup chicken broth or turkey stock
  • 1 large egg whisked, I like to make sure the egg is room temperature
  • ¼ cup cream of chicken soup sub heavy cream

Instructions

Cornbread:

  • Heat the oven to 375. Grease a mini muffin loaf pan or cast iron with butter. You can find small disposable baking pans at the grocery store.
  • In a bowl combine the wet ingredients for the cornbread and in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Mix this together then pour into the prepared pan.
    Cornbread being mixed and in a mini skillet.
  • Bake the cornbread for 20 minutes or until the middle is set. I like to prepare the cornbread at least 1-2 days ahead. It's about 2 cups crumbled cornbread
    Cornbread in a mini skillet.

Dressing:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a small baking dish. I used a 9" oval baking dish which is equivalent to a 6.5″x7″ rectangle baker; 1.2-qt. Capacity.
  • Crumble the cornbread and stale white bread into a mixing bowl.
    Cornbread and bread crumbled in a bowl.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter, once melted saute the onions and celery until soft. Add the garlic and sage and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
    Onion, celery, sage and garlic cooking in a pan.
  • Mix the cooked onions, celery, garlic and sage with the cornbread mixture. Season with the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
    Cornbread with celery, onion, sage and butter.
  • Start adding in the broth gradually while mixing, taste and make sure everything is seasoned to your liking. Then stir in the cream of chicken (or cream). Taste again, then stir in the eggs. Add more broth if needed, the consistency should be pretty moist and almost like oatmeal.
    Cornbread dressing filling in a glass bowl.
  • Transfer to the prepared baking dish, spread out and bake uncovered for 35 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the dressing set but still moist.
    Cornbread dressing in a baking dish before baking.
  • Let cool, serve with gravy and enjoy!
    Golden brown cornbread dressing in a small baking dish with a soft center and crisp, buttery edges.

Video

Notes

Read the entire post for commonly asked questions & substitutions. 
Feel free to leave out the stale bread but I like to add it for a bit more structure. 
If you don't have poultry seasoning, you can make your own by mixing together paprika, sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg