A must-have side for any Thanksgiving dinner is this savory Southern cornbread dressing. Cornbread, butter, sausage, eggs, and a handful of easy-to-find ingredients make a delectable combination. This moist, well-seasoned recipe is a genuinely comforting side dish any time of year!

One thing I’ve learned in my cooking career is that you can never ever have too many casseroles at Thanksgiving. Actually, I got that from my sister, who loves gracing her Thanksgiving table with traditional casseroles like sweet potato and green bean casserole.

Since I’ve actually moved to the South, cornbread dressing is a must. However, this effortless casserole is a winner any time of year, not just when you want a stress-free holiday dinner.

Dressing vs. Stuffing

Okay, the first big difference is what you do with it. If you bake it separately, it’s dressing, and if you stuff the turkey with it, it’s stuffing. Another difference is that dressing is traditionally made with leftover cornbread, and stuffing is made with regular day-old bread. Stuffing is also more likely to have oysters in it. That said, why get picky? Whatever you call it, and however you serve it, it’s all good.

How to Make Cornbread Dressing

1. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Break it into chunks with a wooden spoon, and let it cook while stirring for 3-5 minutes. (Photo 1)
2. Add the onions, celery, garlic, Italian herbs, sage, and thyme to the sausage, and cook until onions are soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. (Photo 2-3)
3. Mix the day-old cornbread and bread cubes in a large bowl. (Photo 4)

1. Combine the half-and-half and eggs, then pour them evenly over the cornbread mixture. (Photo 5-6)
2. Gently fold in the sausage and veggie mix with all its juice so it’s well-combined without breaking up the bread too much. (Photo 7)
3. Add the chicken stock and continue folding until your dressing is moistened. Taste test and season with salt if needed. (Photo 8)

1. Transfer your casserole mixture to the greased baking dish. Cut butter into tiny slivers and scatter on top of the dressing. (Photo 9)
2. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) until heated all the way through and crusty on top, 35-40 minutes. Start checking for doneness at around 30 minutes. (Photo 10)

Recipe Tips and Twists

• Day-old bread makes the best dressing because it’s dry enough to soak up more flavor. Waste not, want not.
• For extra smoky, savory flavor, use a tablespoon of bacon fat instead of butter.
• If you only have fresh bread, cut it into cubes and bake it at 350℉ (180℃) for about 20 minutes.
• Replace the butter with olive oil and the half-and-half with soy milk (or your favorite neutral-flavored plant-based milk) for a dairy-free version.
• If you don’t have fresh herbs, then dried ones work fine. Use a third of what the recipe asks for when replacing fresh herbs with dried ones.
• Italian seasoning is terrific, but so is homemade poultry seasoning for a flavor makeover.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

You can assemble this recipe a day or two ahead, cover it, and store it in the fridge. Bake it when you’re ready. Or you can assemble it and freeze it a month ahead. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and bake it the next day.

Refrigerate your leftover cornbread dressing in an airtight container for up to four days. Then reheat it in the microwave or 350℉ (180℃) oven until heated through, 10-20 minutes.

More Fabulous Holiday Recipes to Try

By Imma

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

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Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Southern

• Generously grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add breakfast sausage, and break it into chunks with a wooden spoon. Let it cook while stirring for 3-5 minutes.

• Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan with the sausage, followed by onions, celery, garlic, Italian herbs, sage, and thyme. Then cook until onions are soft or wilted, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

• In a large bowl, combine day-old cornbread and bread cubes.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the half-and-half and eggs. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cornbread mixture.

• Carefully add the sausage and veggie mix with all its juice to the bread mixture. Gently fold it into the cornbread mixture, so it’s well combined without mashing the cornbread. 

• Add chicken stock and continue folding until your dressing is moistened. Taste test and season with salt if needed.

• Transfer your casserole mixture to the greased baking dish. Cut butter into tiny slivers and scatter on top of the dressing.

• Put your casserole in a 350℉ (180℃) oven until it is hot all the way through and crusty on top, 35-40 minutes. Start checking for doneness at around 30 minutes.

• Day-old bread makes the best dressing because it soaks up the liquids better.
• The cornbread dressing should have a moist, sponge-like texture. Not too dry and not too wet is a perfect consistency.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Serving: 1slice| Calories: 651kcal (33%)| Carbohydrates: 84g (28%)| Protein: 24g (48%)| Fat: 25g (38%)| Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g| Monounsaturated Fat: 8g| Trans Fat: 0.3g| Cholesterol: 108mg (36%)| Sodium: 1361mg (59%)| Potassium: 448mg (13%)| Fiber: 7g (29%)| Sugar: 17g (19%)| Vitamin A: 348IU (7%)| Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)| Calcium: 257mg (26%)| Iron: 6mg (33%)

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Southern