Buttery Cornbread Dressing LOADED with flavour! Deliciously moist, light and fluffy with a perfect crispy, golden crust.

Every Thanksgiving table has a plate of the Best Sausage Meat Stuffing or cornbread dressing with Roast Turkey , Gravy and ALL the food ! Made with optional sage sausages, onions, celery, homemade cornbread and delicious fresh herbs.

Top view of Cornbread Dressing recipe moist, light and fluffy with a perfect crispy, golden crust. - 1
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Cornbread Dressing
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Even though there are many different ways to make cornbread dressing, this recipe is our family favourite.

What makes this recipe stand out? The addition of sage sausages, mushrooms and green bell peppers add even more texture and flavour to our dressing!

Ingredients

Top down shot of ingredients against a woodgrain board - 2
  • Cornbread & day-old bread – The hearty base; absorbs stock and holds all the flavours together.
  • Sausage – Adds savoury depth I use Sage Pork Sausages for a touch of spice
  • Mushrooms, onion, celery & green capsicum – Bring texture, umami, and classic stuffing flavour.
  • Garlic – Enhances the overall savoury profile.
  • Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley) – Add fragrance and earthy warmth.
  • Chicken stock – Moistens the bread and infuses rich, comforting flavour.
  • Melted butter – Adds richness and helps create a golden, crisp top.

Note: See the recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements

How To Make Cornbread Dressing

First, you need to use a good cornbread recipe. We have two on our site that we love to use, Buttermilk cornbread (more on the sweet side) and our Cornbread Recipe (more savoury).

cut up cornbread in a clear bowl - 3
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Chop pre-baked cornbread into roughly 1-inch pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
cut up cornbread in a clear bowl with cooked pork sausages being poured in - 4
  1. Heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook sausages over for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, break up sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the cornbread.
mushrooms, onions, celery, parsley, sage, Green bell pepper, thyme being sauted in a pan - 5
  1. Add remaining oil and add the mushrooms, onions, celery, parsley, sage, Green bell pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant
cornbread dressing mixture in a bowl being covered with stock and melted butter - 6
  1. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the cornbread. Add the stock and melted butter, mixing really well with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has been absorbed.
cornbread dressing poured into a baking dish - 7
  1. Pour the dressing into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
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  1. Cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

My cornbread dressing is the perfect thanksgiving side to my Crispy Beer Roast Turkey or my Lemon Garlic roast Chicken .

Homemade is best, but store-bought works too. Just make sure it’s slightly dry or day-old so it absorbs the flavours better.

Fresh sage, thyme, and parsley give the best flavour, but you can use dried if fresh isn’t available—just reduce the quantity.

Use enough chicken stock to moisten the bread mixture fully, and don’t overbake. It should be golden on top but soft inside.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe with wooden spoon - 9 Karina in a white and black dress with her hair blowing back, standing in front of her cooktop, cooking salmon in a pan - 10

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IngredientsUSMetric1x2x3x

  • ▢ 1 batch cornbread
  • ▢ 4 slices day old bread cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
  • ▢ 1/2 pound sage pork sausages casings removed and crumbled, optional – substitute with chicken
  • ▢ 7 ounces brown mushrooms sliced
  • ▢ 1 large onion chopped
  • ▢ 4 stalks celery chopped
  • ▢ 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
  • ▢ 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
  • ▢ 5 cloves garlic large, minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • ▢ 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • ▢ 1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Chop pre-baked cornbread into 1-inch pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
  • Heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the sausages over for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the cornbread.
  • In the same pan, add the remaining oil and add the mushrooms, onions, celery, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
  • Transfer mixture to the bowl with the cornbread. Add the stock and melted butter, mixing really well with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Pour the dressing into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
  • Cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe with wooden spoon - 11

Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 batch cornbread
  • 4 slices day old bread cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 pound sage pork sausages casings removed and crumbled, optional - substitute with chicken
  • 7 ounces brown mushrooms sliced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic large, minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Chop pre-baked cornbread into 1-inch pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
  • Heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the sausages over for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the cornbread.
  • In the same pan, add the remaining oil and add the mushrooms, onions, celery, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
  • Transfer mixture to the bowl with the cornbread. Add the stock and melted butter, mixing really well with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Pour the dressing into a 9x12-inch baking dish.
  • Cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

Notes

Nutrition

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