It’s that time of year. Thanksgiving time! Here’s an easy and respectable Cornbread Dressing Recipe for Thanksgiving.
It’s made with Jiffy Mix cornbread and has a ton of flavor! Grab the recipe down below!
Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Several friends have asked me for a good, solid, easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe.
Although I have several really good ones. This one is a great basic dressing recipe.
It is good as is, or it can be a great starting point to build more involved varieties.
Let me know how it comes out. Enjoy.
Make the Cornbread First!
Ingredients needed for Jiffy Mix Cornbread
- 2 Boxes of Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup of Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon of ground sage
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil or
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup whole milk
Cornbread Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Note: The cornbread recipe has to be made first and then added to the recipe.
- In a bowl, combine 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, two eggs, buttermilk, whole milk, ground sage, and celery seed.
- Mix well until all ingredients are combined, and pour into a baking dish brushed with olive oil or melted butter.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Allow the cornbread to cool and break apart.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 pan of cornbread
- 1 large bag of Pepperidge Farm Sage & Onion Stuffing [ this is optional. We had this ingredient in the original recipe]
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into five slices
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp of Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp of freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of thyme
- 3 tbsp of rubbed or ground sage
- 1 cup of chopped onions such as a yellow or Vidalia
- 1 cup of thinly sliced celery w/leaves
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 2 shallots diced
- 4 cloves of minced garlic (use a garlic press for best results)
While the cornbread is baking, start prepping all of the veggies.
How to make the perfect cornbread dressing:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of EVOO. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, peppers, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and opaque, then set aside.
- Once the cornbread is finished baking and cool enough to handle, crumble cornbread into a large bowl, add the sautéed vegetables and seasonings, then mix well.
- Spoon the cornbread mixture into a large baking dish and add three cups of chicken stock. [ If you are adding in the bag of Pepperidge Farm Onion & Sage, this is where you will add it.]
- Make sure the mixture is moist but not too damp. (if needed, add a little more chicken stock.)
- Next, slice a half-stick of unsalted butter and press them along the sides of the dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour.
- If the cornbread dressing is browning too quickly, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan and continue baking.
If you are looking for a reliable cornbread dressing recipe, look no further; this is it!
Can I use only cornbread to make this recipe?
You can use a combination of cornbread, sourdough, croissants, rye, pumpernickel, or Hawaiin rolls.
Just about any bakery-made bread. I do not recommend any light bread.
Can I add meat to this dressing?
Of course, you can add browned Italian or andouille sausage; a little spicy chorizo goes a long way.
Or use chopped chicken, turkey, or beef brisket.
Try these meat recipes:
Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
Can I make this dressing recipe a day ahead?
Absolutely! Making major dishes like this is a game-changer.
It means you have one less thing to worry about the day of!
Make sure you refrigerate properly and reheat by heating the dressing.
Can I freeze stuffing or dressing?
You sure can. Store any leftover stuffing in smaller 1-2 servings in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Properly stored dressing (or stuffing) will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Reheat the dressing in a microwave-safe dish and reheat for 3 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 F, place the dressing in a covered dish, and warm through for 10-15 minutes.
Want to make this recipe even better?
Here are a few other ingredients you may want to toss into the mix:
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- diced apples or pears
- dried cranberries
- toasted and chopped pecans, walnuts, or macadamia
- crumbled thick-cut bacon
- caramelized onions
- fennel chopped
- artichokes chopped
Remember, these are optional ingredients and not essential to the recipe; add according to your taste.
Also, if you want to try an alternative to Turkey, check out my recipe for Cornish Hens.
More Thanksgiving recipes:
40+ Basic Thanksgiving Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 Boxes of Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup of Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon of ground sage
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil or
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Note: The cornbread recipe has to be made first and then added to the recipe.
- In a bowl, combine 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, two eggs, buttermilk, whole milk, ground sage, and celery seed.
- Mix well until all ingredients are combined, and pour into a baking dish brushed with olive oil or melted butter.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the top is golden brown.
- Allow the cornbread to cool and break apart.
How To Make Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pan of cornbread
- 1 Pepperidge Farm Onion & Sage this is optional - we had it in the original recipe-
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into five slices
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp of Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp of freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of thyme
- 3 tbsp of rubbed or ground sage
- 1 cup of chopped onions such as a yellow or Vidalia
- 1 cup of thinly sliced celery w/leaves
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 2 shallots diced
- 4 cloves of minced garlic use a garlic press for best results
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Place a large skillet over med-high heat and add two tablespoons of EVOO. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, peppers, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and opaque, then set aside.
- Once the cornbread is finished baking and cool enough to handle, crumble cornbread into a large bowl, add the sautéed vegetables and seasonings, then mix well.
- Spoon the cornbread mixture into a large baking dish and add three cups of chicken stock. [ If you are adding in the bag of Pepperidge Farm Onion & Sage, this is where you will add it.]
- Make sure the mixture is moist but not too damp. (if needed, add a little more chicken stock)
- Next, slice a half-stick of unsalted butter and press them along the sides of the dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour.
- If the cornbread dressing is browning too quickly, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan and continue baking.
Nutrition
Published 8/2014 | Updated 10/2023
Courtney at A Life From Scratch says
Gah! Another divine looking Thanksgiving recipe. Thanks again for sharing at the Project Parade 🙂
Cindy @ Hun What's for Dinner? says
Mmm, that stuffing looks fantastic! You are being featured over at Simple Supper Tuesday, this week. I hope you can join us again, starting at 8pm EST, on Monday.
Nicole Neverman says
Thank you so much for being a part of our #PureBlogLove link parties in 2014 – We plan on seeing in the new year with a BANG this Thursday evening and hope that all our favorite bloggers will join us! No worries if you cannot make it that night, remember the party runs weekly, Thursday-Monday morning!!
melissa says
What temperature does the oven need to be heated to?
D. Durand Worthey says
For the Cornbread recipe preheat to 400 degrees and for the Cornbread Dressing preheat to 350 degrees.
Raegin says
What temp is the oven for the dressing? Is it the same as the cornbread?
T Worthey says
Good morning- Sorry. I am just now seeing this. Plus, I had to ask my husband because that’s his area…lol He says 400 degrees for the corn bread and 350 degrees for the dressing/stuffing. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Carol Young says
Should I sauté the veggies first?
D. Durand Worthey says
Yes, yes and yes! For this recipe I always sauté the vegetables. Adding heat to foods increases taste so the extra step involved in taking the time to sauté the veggies is well worth it and time well spent. Thank you Carol for asking.
Leigha says
When do you mix in the corn meal, eggs, and sugar? I’m nervous and want to get it right for Thursday!
D. Durand Worthey says
The cornbread recipe has to be made interdependently and baked off before it can be added to the dressing recipe. So, in a bowl combine 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, sugar, two eggs and 1 1/4 cup of whole milk. Mix well until all ingredients are combined and pour into a baking dish brushed with olive oil or melted butter and cook 15 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Thank you Leigha for your question. I hope this helps. Happy baking!
Sahana says
Aww!!! Looks delicious. Thank you for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty. Happy Thanksgiving from Home Matters family 🙂
Holly says
Do you mix the 1/2 cup cornmeal & sugar into the cornbread mix or with the seasonings??
D. Durand Worthey says
Correct. Yes, mix the 1/2 cornmeal and sugar to the Jiffy Cornbread batter before baking. However, the additional sugar is optional. Some prefer sweeter cornbread while others prefer a savory variety. If you prefer the latter omit the sugar and add a tablespoon of poultry seasoning to the cornbread batter. Thank you Holly.
Holly says
Do I add the 1/2 c cornmeal & sugar to the cornbread mix before baking??
Della Jeffus says
What size baking dish do you use for the cornbread?
T Worthey says
Hi Della, thanks for stopping by. The white baking dish is 9″ x 11″, and the silver baking dish is 9″ x 13″.
Tammy Bowman says
Thanks for sharing. How many servings in this recipe?
T Worthey says
Hi Tammy, approx 10 servings (at 4 oz). Hope that helps!
Sheila says
For you Southern gals also add some Jimmy Dean hot sausage (cook before adding to the cornbread and mix in well) before baking the stuffing ….I use 3 corn bread mixes I cook a day before making the stuffing to let it dry out a little and 2 tubes of Jimmy Dean hot sausage…so yummy also hubby does not like celery so I use water chestnuts enjoy!!!
Tammy Rutledge says
Ok, I know I’m not tripping, I came here for a refresher for this, but this recipe has definitely changed, this isn’t the same one I loved. I’m redoing my stuffing my own way. This wasn’t bad, just wasn’t what I wanted.
T Worthey says
Hi Tammy, First, thank you for stopping by and using our dressing recipe year after year. We did tweak the recipe and made changes to it about 2 years ago. However, we know what you may have missed in the older recipe. It was the Pepperidge Farm Sage & Onion Stuffing. That was the only thing we took out of the most up-to-date recipe. We will add the recipe’s original version back into the post, so you can reference it. 🙂 Thank you.