The Family Tradition Too Good to Change
When I think about Thanksgiving and Christmas growing up, I always think about my grandmother, Mama Swain, and all the wonderful food she made. She was in charge of the turkey, ham, gravy, and, of course, the Southern Cornbread Dressing. I can still picture those big pans coming out of the oven. She’d let the dressing cool just enough to cut it into squares, and believe me, we never had to worry about leftovers!
What I love most is that I’m still making her dressing all these years later. It’s a simple, old-fashioned recipe with cornbread, biscuits, stuffing mix, celery, and onions. I’ve stayed true to the way she made it, with one little exception. I add a bit more chicken stock because I like my dressing extra moist. Some recipes are just too special to change, and this is one of them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Around Here, We Call It Dressing
In the South, we call it dressing, not stuffing! Traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey, while dressing is baked separately in a pan. But around our holiday tables, dressing is simply what we’ve always called it. My grandmother baked hers in big pans, cut it into squares, and served it right alongside the turkey and gravy. That’s how I grew up eating it, and that’s how I still make it today.
The Little Details That Make a Difference
Start with traditional Southern cornbread. It’s the foundation of this dressing and gives it that familiar flavor I’ve loved since childhood.
Cook the vegetables first. Sautéing the celery and onions in butter softens them and brings out their flavor.
Don’t skimp on the stock. This is my one adjustment to Mama Swain’s recipe. I add a little extra chicken stock until the mixture has the consistency I like.
Let it rest. A few minutes after baking makes it easier to cut into squares.
The Ingredients Behind Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Butter: For sautéing the celery and onions.
- Celery and onion: The familiar flavors that make Southern dressing taste like dressing.
- Traditional Southern cornbread: The foundation of this recipe, giving the dressing its classic Southern flavor.
- Biscuits: Add softness and help create the tender texture that makes this dressing so special.
- Stuffing mix: Part of my grandmother’s original recipe.
- Eggs: Help the dressing hold together so you can cut it into squares or spoon it into the pan.
- Chicken stock: Adds flavor and moisture. I keep extra on hand to adjust the consistency.
- Salt, black pepper, and celery salt: Simple seasonings that bring everything together.
From Mixing Bowl to Holiday Table
- Sauté: Cook the celery and onion in butter until tender.
- Mix: Combine crumbled cornbread, biscuits, stuffing mix, vegetables, eggs, stock, and seasonings.
- Check the moisture: The mixture should be loose and very moist, but not soupy. Add more stock as needed.
- Bake: Spread in a prepared 10-by-15-inch pan and bake until set with a slightly crisp, golden top.
Getting Ahead of Holiday Dinner
Make the cornbread and biscuits a day or two ahead, and chop the celery and onions ahead of time. I prefer to assemble the dressing close to baking time so I can adjust the stock.
Want to get a head start on Thanksgiving? My Thanksgiving Countdown takes you from planning the menu and shopping to prepping dishes ahead and organizing oven time, so you know exactly what to do and when to do it.
More for the Thanksgiving Table
I serve this cornbread dressing alongside turkey, ham, and plenty of homemade gravy. If you’re planning your holiday menu, here are a few recipes to help bring the whole meal together.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 5 ribs celery – strings removed and chopped
- 1 medium onion – chopped
- 1 pan cornbread
- 2 cups stale bread or biscuits
- 4 cups Pepperidge Farm's stuffing mix
- 4 large eggs – beaten
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10×15 (large 4.8 quart) baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add butter to a pan and saute celery and onions until tender.
- Crumble cornbread and biscuits or bread into a large bowl. Add stuffing mix. Add cooked vegetables. Add in eggs and 4 cups of stock. Mix well. Add in salt, pepper, and celery salt. Mix again. Dressing mixture should be loose but not soupy. If too thick, add more stock. Pour dressing into prepared pan and bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until the top is golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into squares or scoop out with a large spoon and serve.
Nutrition
Leftovers Worth Saving
Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, or freeze cooked portions for best quality within 2–3 months. To reheat, add a splash of chicken stock if needed, cover with foil, and warm in a 325°F oven until the center reaches 165°F.
A Few Cornbread Dressing Questions, Answered
The mixture should be loose and very moist, but not soupy. Add chicken stock a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Eggs help bind the ingredients so the dressing holds together after baking.
Yes. Make the cornbread and biscuits and chop the vegetables ahead. If assembling in advance, refrigerate promptly and bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Yes. Freeze cooked dressing in airtight portions, thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat to 165°F.
The Effortless Host eBook
Hosting doesn’t have to mean stress, long to-do lists, or staying stuck in the kitchen. The Effortless Host is your shortcut to pulling off beautiful gatherings with confidence and ease.
The Thanksgiving Countdown: 7 Days to a Beautiful & Delicious Feast
GET THIS FREE GUIDE: To help plan out your menu, when to buy your ingredients, and what prep work you can do in advance.
I love these recipes and I really love that you love family traditions. Now that my Mom is gone, I wish I had paid more attention to her dishes. I’m going to make this dressing because it sounds like what Mama made ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your feelings. It’s beautiful to hear how much your mom’s cooking meant to you. I hope this dressing brings back wonderful memories and helps keep her traditions alive in your heart. Wishing you a lovely cooking experience! ❤️
XO, Donya
I had a grandmother and we called her Mama Swain. She was a wonderful cook, just good old southern cooking. This is the exact recipe of how I make my dressing. Thank you for sharing.
We might be cousin’s who knows???
WOW! That is so wonderful to hear. We might just be cousins, who knows is right. Thank you so much for reaching out. I love this comment for so many reasons. Have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas!
XO,
~Donya
I want to try this because I’ve been searching for a great cornbread dressing for years, but I just want clarification on one thing. It says 1 pan of cornbread – is that an 8 x 8 or what size? I don’t want to mess it up!!
Hey there Paula!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a really good question! Normally what I’ll do is make an 8×8 pan of cornbread and use that in my dressing. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, and if you have any other questions about a recipe don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
Yum! My southern Grandma used both biscuits and cornbread. This is the first recipe I’ve found after years of looking that uses biscuits! I’ve never been able to get the seasoning just right as she just dumped everything in, so I’m going to give your recipe a try this year. She did add evaporated milk too, but I don’t know the amount. Thank you so very much!
Is this really moist? It looks like it. My mother’s was so good and I don’t think I have her recipe. I remember small pieces of chicken being in hers. I believe she cooked the chicken for the broth and used some of the meat in the dressing. Yours looks really tasty.
Happy Thanksgiving!
My mother’s did as well. But she cooked the chicken neck and the celrly and anion in chicken broth until the vegetables were tender and the meat fell off the neck, Then she added it all to the cornbread and biscuit mixture.
Hey there Carol!
Let me just say… that sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Ill have to try it. I love trying different twists on classics. I hope you have a great day!
~Donya