The Best Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing recipe (So Easy!) (2024)

This old fashioned cornbread dressing recipe is a must-have side dish for Thanksgiving. Aromatic herbs, buttery onions, and rich broth create a timeless favorite. It’s an easy recipe, and you’ll be sharing it with everyone by the end of dinner!

This post brought to you by Carton Smart. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think about the holidays is cooking and baking.

Like some of my favorite fall recipes: cake mix pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones and pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

It’s not even all pumpkin! Both my apple pie filling and my apple butter have a place in tons of different holiday recipes, and my eggs benedict casserole recipe is a Christmas morning favorite.

But I digress. So many memories and good feelings are wrapped up in the foods I share with family and friends. Writing about all of those delicious recipes makes me want to get to work in the kitchen!

I consider myself fairly environmentally conscious—I limit my use of plastic bags, try to use reusable containers, I recycle everything that can be recycled and, overall, I’m very conscious of how my actions impact the environment.

Sometimes it’s a bit disheartening to toss my waste into a recycling bin, only to see a dirty trash bin overflowing with goods that could have been recycled.

It makes me wonder if my actions are doing any good at all. Then I’m reminded that I’m definitely not the only one recycling.

As an individual, my actions feel small, but, when multiplied, those small decisions add up.

Tetra Pak’s carton packages are designed for maximum efficiency and environmental friendliness, and their designs make those smart little decisions even easier.

Here are just a few reasons to choose products in Tetra Pak cartons:

• Tetra Pak cartons are made of 70% paper, which is a renewable resource.
• Tetra Pak cartons are recyclable and use a third of the packaging compared to cans. They ultimately result in 60% less landfill waste than cans.
• The cartons are reclosable, meaning you can use what you need and save the rest for later. It also eliminates using another container to store the excess!
• The unique packaging process preserves the flavor and nutrients in food without using preservatives.

There are so many fantastic foods packaged in cartons that can be used to become Carton Smart when preparing holiday meals.

Two items that surprised me when I saw them were Pacific Foods cranberries and Pacific Foods Organic pumpkin puree.

(I’m definitely going to try those cranberries in this cranberry bars recipe or this cranberry relish!)

I had no idea either one of these came in anything other than a can!

This year, I’m taking my family to my sister’s for Thanksgiving. My sister and I are close and we both love to cook, so I’m more than happy to bring a ton of ingredients and spend the day cooking and preparing for Thanksgiving dinner alongside her.

In years past, I’ve made a few different varieties of stuffing. There are these delicious apple stuffing muffin cups, but my favorite is a fabulous Thanksgiving old fashioned cornbread dressing that’s a mix of cornbread, white bread, veggies, herbs and chicken broth.

It’s great with turkey, but don’t hesitate to make it on days others than Thanksgiving. It would be delicious with this Panko Chicken!

If I make it this year, I’ll be sure to buy Pacific Foods chicken broth that comes packaged in Tetra Pak cardboard rather than a can.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to get the recipe on a printable card.

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Old Fashioned Cornbread Stuffing Ingredients:

• 1 batch of cornbread (from scratch or one box of Jiffy mix made in an 8×8 pan)
• 1 16 oz loaf French bread
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-2 teaspoons dried rosemary, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing Preparation Instructions:

1. Spread the cubed cornbread and french bread out on two baking sheets and let dry overnight. (I put them in my cold oven because I hate letting food sit out).
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onions start to get soft and translucent.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add basil, thyme, rosemary and half of the chopped fresh parsley. Stir until combined.
4. Place dried bread cubes in a large bowl and mix them up a bit. Gradually pour the broth mixture into the bread, tossing as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture until the bread is fully moistened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in two greased baking dishes and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top.

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Yield: 18 servings

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing

Make a classic Thanksgiving recipe with this Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing. Made from a blend of crispy cornbread and French bread cubes, enriched with butter, onions, celery, aromatic herbs like basil, thyme, and rosemary, then moistened with rich chicken broth. Perfectly seasoned, truly timeless

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time45 minutes

Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 batch of cornbread (an 8×8 pan made from scratch or from a box of Jiffy mix)
• 1 16 oz loaf French bread
• 1 stick butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-2 teaspoons dried rosemary, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the breads into 1-inch cubes and spread them out onto two baking sheets. Let the cubes dry overnight. (If you don't want to wait that long, see the notes for the quick dry method.)
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onions start to get soft and translucent.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add basil, thyme, rosemary and half of the chopped fresh parsley. Stir until combined.
4. Place dried bread in a large bowl and pour about half the broth mixture into the bread, tossing as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture until the bread is fully soaked, but not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. When you're ready to bake, spoon the dressing into two greased 9x13 pans or 2 large casserole dishes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve hot.

Notes

Instead of letting the bread sit out overnight, you can toast the cubes in a 200°F oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring it halfway through.

Let them cool thoroughly before moving onto step 2.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 131Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 445mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate.