5 from 9 votes

Old fashioned Cornbread Dressing

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing’ recipe – an easy and delightful dish packed with an intense flavor. This classic cornbread dressing, much like your mom and grandma’s recipe, is perfect not just for thanksgiving, but any occasion that calls for a cozy, hearty meal. Get ready for a savory revelation!

I know there are zillions of stuffing or dressing recipes out there but we are a traditionalist kind of peoples.  Our family likes an old fashioned Cornbread Dressing recipe like mom made. Our Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing recipe evokes nostalgic family gatherings with its rich, savory flavors, elevated by the unique intensity of Rubbed Dalmatian Sage. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any hearty meal, it features sautéed celery and onions mixed into crumbled cornbread, moistened with chicken broth for a pudding-like texture, and baked to a golden crust. From its thick pudding-like consistency to the golden crust, this dressing is an epitome of culinary delight. Bonus: It can be made a day ahead, giving you ample time to enjoy the holiday!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please read our Disclosure Policy.

old fashioned cornbread dressing

Get ready to enjoy some delicious nostalgia this Thanksgiving?  Our family’s traditional cornbread dressing recipe is here, right from Mom’s kitchen to yours. It’s old fashioned, it’s easy, and it’s perfect! One of the changes we made to this old fashioned cornbread dressing was adding a unique dried sage.   My daughter and I found and tried this sage called, “Rubbed Dalmatian Sage” a few years ago and now we always use it. We believe it’s totally packed with intense sage flavor and is perfect for our dressing.   It really makes a difference for all you sage lovers out there. We jokingly call it, “The sage that was rubbed on the dog”!  Seriously it’s simply the best in our book.  If you can’t find it in your local market, it can be ordered from Amazon right here, Rubbed Dalmatian Sage.

Old Fashioned Cornbread dressing Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups chopped celery 
  • 2 cups chopped white onions
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp dried sage (Rubbed Dalmatian Sage)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 6 eggs
  • Cornbread (recipe for 9 X 13 pan)

Equipment Needed:

  • Large Skillet
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • 9 X 13 baking pan

 

🥣 Recipe Tips

  • Achieve the perfect pudding-like texture by adding the chicken broth gradually, one cup at a time, while stirring the cornbread mixture. This prevents it from becoming too soggy and ensures a moist yet firm result after baking.
  • Prep ahead for stress-free holidays by assembling the entire dressing a day in advance, covering it tightly, and refrigerating until ready to bake. This allows flavors to meld overnight for even deeper taste.
  • Elevate with Rubbed Dalmatian Sage for an intense, aromatic boost—use this finely ground variety instead of regular sage to mimic that classic Southern depth without overpowering the dish.

How to make old fashioned cornbread dressing:

onions and celery

Sauté the celery and onions in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the veggies are tender. Set aside and let cool

crumbled cornbread

In a very large mixing bowl or pot, crumble the cornbread into small pieces.

cornbread and seasonings

Add the salt, pepper, sage, and the cooled cooked celery and onions to the crumbled cornbread.

old fashioned cornbread dressing

Start adding the broth to the cornbread mixture 1 cup at a time until very moistened.  This is the time to check your seasons for additional salt or pepper.  Also, we like a little more sage than called for so add more sage is you wish. 

traditional cornbread dressing recipe

Beat the eggs and mix them into the cornbread mixture and it should be similar to a thick like pudding consistency.  

old fashioned cornbread dressing

Gently spoon into a large baking dish and smooth out evenly.   And then bake at 350 degrees for an hour, uncovered.

This is a traditional cornbread dressing recipe that can be made the day before from cornbread made the day before that.  So it should give you a giant jump on Thanksgiving.  We used our own cornbread recipe but you could use a box mix for the cornbread if you choose.  We may have changed a few things but we believe that just enhances this traditional cornbread dressing recipe.  And since mom never wrote it down, we may have nailed it exactly the way she made it. The subtle tweaks we’ve made only heighten the authentic taste. Also, our secret ingredient – the ‘Rubbed Dalmatian Sage’, which we discovered and fell in love with – that takes this dressing to a whole new level of deliciousness!  

 🥣 Recipe

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing

5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
old fashioned cornbread dressing
An Old Fashioned cornbread dressing recipe like Moms’s traditional cornbread dressing. It’s an easy cornbread dressing recipe perfect for Thanksgiving Dinner 
Evelyn Osborn
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 182 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Saute the celery and onions in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the veggies are tender. Set aside and let cool
  • In a large mixing bowl, crumble the cornbread and add the salt, pepper, sage and the sautéed veggies
  • Add the broth to the cornbread mixture 1 cup at a time until the mixture is a thick like pudding. This is the time to check your seasonings. Add more salt or pepper if needed and we love more sage so add more of it if you wish.
  • Beat the eggs and mix them into the cornbread mixture. Gently spoon into a large baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for an hour, uncovered

Notes

This same recipe could also be used to stuff your Thanksgiving Turkey. Instead of placing it into the baking dish, just stuff your bird and follow the directions on cooking a stuffed Turkey.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 1116mgPotassium: 351mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 747IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Easy Cornbread Dressing, Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing, Traditional Cornbread Dressing
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Click HERE to save this Traditional Cornbread Dressing to Pinterest