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Sussex Holiday GuidebyLocal Loop
All holiday recipes

Side dishes · Taste of Home

Grandma’s Southern Cornbread Dressing

Homemade skillet cornbread crumbled with onion, celery, and poultry seasoning, then baked into a savory holiday dressing.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home — view original recipe (opens in a new tab).

Directions independently written by Local Loop; not tested in our kitchen. AI-generated illustrative photo, not the source’s photo.

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Illustrative golden cornbread dressing in a baking dish with a serving spoon

The recipe

12 servings
Prep
40 min
Cook
45 min
Total
85 min

Taste of Home lists 40 minutes prep plus cooling the cornbread, and 45 minutes baking the dressing. The cornbread itself bakes 20–25 minutes first.

Ingredients

0 of 16 checked

For the cornbread

For the dressing

Equipment

  • 8-inch ovenproof (cast-iron) skillet
  • Large skillet
  • Mixing bowls and whisk
  • 13x9-inch baking dish
  • Wire rack

Allergen note: Contains eggs, milk, and wheat. Check soup and broth labels for soy and other allergens.

Instructions

  1. Heat the skillet

    Heat the oven to 400°F. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in one bowl and the eggs and buttermilk in another. Pour the oil into an 8-inch ovenproof skillet and heat it in the oven for 4 minutes.

  2. Bake the cornbread

    Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Swirl the hot oil around the skillet, add the batter, and bake 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.

  3. Build the dressing

    Lower the oven to 350°F. Cook the onion and celery in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4–6 minutes, until tender. Off the heat, crumble in the cornbread and toss. Whisk the eggs, soup, and seasonings, stir into the bread, then stir in the broth.

  4. Bake

    Spread in a greased 13x9-inch dish and bake 45–55 minutes, until lightly browned.

Kitchen notes

  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry (not the reverse) for a smoother, lump-free batter.
  • The cornbread can be baked a day ahead so it is fully cool before assembling.
  • Taste of Home suggests adding 1–2 tablespoons garlic or fresh thyme for a variation.

Storage & make-ahead

Taste of Home: refrigerate portions in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 4 days, or freeze at 0°F up to 3 months.