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Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Bring some southern comfort to your holidays with my grandma's old fashioned cornbread dressing recipe, packed with homemade cornbread, sausage and plenty of sage!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 322 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: African-American Fusion

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces salted butter
  • 16 ounces sage sausage removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 celery ribs diced
  • 5 fresh sage leaves chopped
  • ½ tsp dried rubbed sage
  • 1 tbsp garlic chopped
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 5 heaping cups stale savory cornbread recipe in notes
  • 1⅓ cup saltine crackers or 3 slices of stale toast
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 3 cups turkey broth
  • 1 tbsp salted butter for buttering pan
  • 5 fried sage leaves optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large pan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes, allowing the butter to absorb all the flavor.
  2. Add diced onion and celery to the sausage in the pan, sautéing until the onion is golden brown, around 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, sage, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, crumble the cornbread and crackers (keep them sizable to avoid mushy dressing).
  4. Gently fold in the sausage mixture, making sure to scrape all the flavorful butter from the pan.
  5. Mix in the beaten eggs. Add the broth a little at a time to reach your preferred consistency, I like around 3 cups of broth. (For a wetter, more custard-y dressing, use more broth)
  6. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish generously and transfer the dressing mixture into it. Don’t smooth the top—leave it rough for extra crispy bits.
  7. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and crispy. Garnish with fried sage leaves for an extra touch of fancy (optional). Enjoy!

Notes

  • 2 cups fine ground cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, + 2 tbsp oil for the pan
  • Preheat your oven to 450 °F. Pour two tablespoons of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven for ten minutes.
  • While the skillet heats up, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking them together. Set aside.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  • Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven with oven mitts. Tilt the pan slightly and swirl the vegetable oil around to coat the bottom and up the sides. Then, pour the batter into the skillet.
  • Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until the top of the cornbread turns golden brown and begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
  • Let cool (and for this recipe, let it stale in the fridge in a zip top bag).

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 serving Calories 322kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 9g (3%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 107mg (36%) Sodium 818mg (34%) Potassium 140mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 702IU (14%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 24mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 322

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 serving
Calories 322kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 818mg 34%
Potassium 140mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 702IU 14%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.