Cornbread Stuffing is the most delicious Thanksgiving side dish recipe. This homemade stuffing is simple to make and your family will love it. This recipe is a keeper!
This cornbread stuffing is an easy spin on my Classic Homemade Stuffing, and it is ridiculously amazing. I’m not at all joking when I tell you that this Thanksgiving, I’m making both.
How to Make a Cornbread Stuffing
This cornbread stuffing is super simple to make, yet packs such a flavor punch that it will seem like you spent hours in the kitchen. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements and instructions. But here’s all you need to do:
- Make your cornbread. Read more on this below. Cut your cornbread into large cubes.
- Sauté the vegetables. In a hot skillet, melt butter and sauté the celery and onions until tender, adding your seasonings along the way.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cornbread pieces, celery and onion mixture, beaten eggs, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
- Bake the cornbread stuffing. Pour the stuffing mixture into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes or until the stuffing starts to pull away from the edges of the pan. Enjoy!
What Cornbread to Use
I happen to have a super simple Homemade Cornbread recipe that tastes absolutely scrumptious in this stuffing! I promise it doesn’t add a ton of time to the process and it is so delicious. You can make it the day before and just store it covered until time to assemble your stuffing.
However, if you’re really short on time, you can use any cornbread mix too. Just bake as directed on the box and then add it to this recipe.
Please note that you will want to follow the measurements in the recipe card below as we are making half the amount that my stand alone recipe calls for. On the other hand, you could make the linked recipe below, use half for the stuffing, and eat the other half!
Homemade Cornbread
Making Buttermilk
Since buttermilk isn’t an ingredient that most people keep on hand, I like to share a substitute. You can make a buttermilk alternative by combining milk and vinegar, two ingredients people do commonly keep in their kitchens. By combining the right ratio and letting the mixture sit for five minutes, the acid in the vinegar reacts with the proteins in the milk, creating a tangy, slightly thickened liquid that mimics buttermilk’s flavor and texture. This swap works perfectly in this homemade stuffing recipe.
How Many Does This Serve
This cornbread stuffing easily serves eight hungry adults, but if you have lots of other Thanksgiving side dishes, you may find it can serve more like 10-12. You can simply double this recipe as well. It makes for delicious leftovers!
Make Ahead
Cornbread dressing is one of those dishes you can make ahead of time! Combine all of the ingredients the night before you plan to serve it, and cover and store it in the refrigerator. Then on the big day, all you have to do is pop it in the oven.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover cornbread stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in the oven or microwave until heated through. Always use your best discretion when reheating and eating leftovers.
Other Great Holiday Side Dishes
If you make this cornbread stuffing recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think!
Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup milk (227 grams or 236.6 ml)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120 grams)
- 3/4 cup cornmeal (117 grams)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (49.5 grams or 59.1 ml)
Cornbread Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried ground sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt if you use table salt, start with half
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups cornbread cubes (576 grams)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (591.5 ml or 566.9 grams)
Instructions
Cornbread
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside.
- Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the milk and the vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes.1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- In another bowl whisk together the milk + vinegar, egg, and oil.1 large egg, 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. At the end of the baking time, the center should be puffed up and bounce back when you push down on it gently. The edges will be golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread (going all the way down to the bottom of the pan) will come out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the baking dish. Remove and transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool before cutting into large pieces for the stuffing, about 20 minutes.
Cornbread Stuffing
- Melt the butter In a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the celery, onion, and garlic. Add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent and the celery is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 celery stalks, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried ground sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- In a large bowl, combine the cornbread pieces, celery and onion mixture, beaten eggs, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.8 cups cornbread cubes, 2 large eggs, 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- Pour the stuffing mixture into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes or until the stuffing starts to pull away from the edges of the pan.
Donna says
I don’t like meat (sausage) in my stuffing! Can it be left out and maybe mire cornbread added??
Hi Donna! I haven’t tested this recipe without sausage. I would need to play with the recipe a little.
Karen Mitchell says
Hi,
I was wondering if I can put this stuffing in the turkey.
Thank you!
Hi Karen! I never recommend stuffing a turkey because I think that it takes the bird so much longer to cook and you run the risk of things not cooking properly.
Marcel Jefferson says
Hi, how would you make this in a crockpot instead of the oven? It looks fabulous!!!!
Use the ingredients for this recipe but follow the steps in my Crockpot Stuffing.
Rebekah says
Does this overnight well? Could I make it a day ahead of time or will it get dry?
Yes! There are make ahead instructions in the post!
Trey says
Giving this a try on thanksgiving after having done your original stuffing recipe. No eggs needed with this one I see, any reason as to why? Would you say the texture/consistency is similar to your other version?
The cornbread is pretty moist and we don’t dry it out in this recipe, so I didn’t want to add more moisture to the stuffing with eggs. That being said, you could add them. Because there aren’t eggs in this, the stuffing doesn’t hold together in the way the other does. Both are delicious, just different.
Terry says
I see someone asking about leaving out sausage, adding more cornbread. Another asks why there’s no eggs. Was the recipe changed? There’s no sausage in the recipe above, yet while putting together after cornbread has baked, there’s 2 beaten eggs added along with the other ingredients.
Thanks!
Yup! The recipe has been updated. I love this updated version.