Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Southern cornbread dressing with browned crisp edges lifted from a sheet pan on a serving spatula

Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe

This recipe is exactly the way my mom has always made it - who learned it from my Grandma B! It's thin, crispy around the edges, and is a staple at every single holiday get together.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Gary White

Ingredients

Turkey Stock

3 lbs turkey thighs
2 large yellow onions roughly chopped
6 stalks celery roughly chopped
12 cups water for the turkey stock
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal finely ground
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
8 Tbsp. bacon fat divided
1 tsp. kosher salt for the cornbread batter

Dressing

1.5 cups yellow onions diced
1.5 cups celery diced
1.5 cups green peppers diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon bacon fat
15 oz canned very young small sweet peas drained, optional
6 cups cooked cornbread crumbled
12 oz Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix
8 cups turkey stock
1 tablespoon ground sage
2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
8 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Turkey Stock

Place turkey thighs, chopped onions, celery, salt, and pepper into a large pot. Add 12 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 90 minutes until the turkey is tender and falling apart.
Remove the turkey thighs and shred the meat finely. Discard skin and bones.
Strain the stock to remove the vegetables, and set it aside. If making ahead, store in airtight containers and refrigerate until ready to use. When prepping in advance, I like to store the meat submerged in stock so that it doesn't dry out.

Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place 3 tablespoons of bacon fat into a 12-inch cast iron skillet and heat in the oven while preheating.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl: cornmeal, flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Combine with dry ingredients and stir well.
Add 3 tablespoons of bacon fat to the batter and mix again.
Add two more tablespoons of bacon fat to the cast iron skillet, return it to the oven, and let it get smoking hot. Then, pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and set.

Dressing

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in a large pan and sauté diced onions, celery, and green peppers. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables release their juices, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded turkey and sautéed vegetables. Add the sweet peas here if using.
Add 6 cups of crumbled cornbread, the stuffing mix, and 4 cups of turkey stock. Stir well.
Mix in the sage, poultry seasoning, and melted butter, followed by the remaining 4 cups of stock. Stir until fully combined. The dressing should look moist and loose, not dry or crumbly.
Spray two half-sheet pans with cooking spray and divide the dressing evenly between the pans.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, rotate the pans, then bake for another 30 minutes. The dressing is done when the top is well browned, the edges are crisp, and the center is set enough to portion while the interior stays moist.

Video

Notes

Peas: Sweet peas are optional. Leave them out if you prefer.

Casserole dishes: If you bake this in two 13x9-inch casserole dishes instead of half-sheet pans, plan on about 15 additional minutes.

Make ahead: The turkey stock and shredded turkey can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the dressing.

Nutrition