Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing

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Southern cornbread and biscuit dressing is a staple on our family's Thanksgiving table for generations. Made with homemade biscuits, cornbread, and spices - it is the perfect vessel for lots of gravy on your holiday plate!

If I have said it once, I have said it 1000 times - Thanksgiving sides are truly the superior food group when it comes to Thanksgiving. And no plate would not be complete without this cornbread dressing recipe that has been in our family for generations and is best adorned with lots of gravy!

It is the perfect soft carby side for all of that luscious gravy alongside all of your favorite Thanksgiving treats like fried turkey, honey-baked ham, and broccoli casserole. While I am thinking of it - why do we only have this kind of meal once a year??? I am getting so hungry thinking about it!

This is a classic southern dish that is super super easy to make and everyone will love it - so let's get started!

Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing in a clear baking dish with a napkin, thyme sprig, wooden spoon and salt and pepper by it.

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Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
How to Make
How to Make Homemade Biscuits and Cornbread for this Recipe
How to Make Ahead and Freeze Before Thanksgiving
Frequently Asked Questions
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing

Ingredients Needed for this Recipe

Chicken Broth
Onion
Celery
Butter
Day-old stale Cornbread crumbles
Day-old stale Biscuit crumbles
Salt
Pepper
Eggs
Sage

Bowl of biscuit and cornbread crumbles, celery stalk, chicken broth, eggs, butter, salt and pepper and onions on a white table.

Prepping Stale Bread

The secret to this recipe is day-old stale cornbread and biscuits that have been crumbled and dried out. The beauty of this is that cornbread and biscuits can be made at any time of the year. A lot of times if I make a batch and have leftovers, I toss them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and put them in the freezer specifically for this recipe around Thanksgiving. It is a great way to use up leftovers and have things already done.

But if you don't do that, you can just make both of these recipes 1-3 days before needing to make this recipe. Once both the biscuits and cornbread have cooled, remove them from the pan and just break them into large chunks/crumbles on a baking sheet and leave them out to become stale/dry out for at least 24 hours. This is a crucial part of the recipe. They must be stale and a little dried out and hard so don't skip this step! It is important and easy to do in advance.

You can also go ahead and make the stale crumbles and then store them in a zip-top bag and pop them in the freezer until needed for the recipe. There are lots of options to make things easier here!

And you know I have both a homemade biscuit and cornbread recipe for you on this site already! 😉

Bowl of biscuits and cornbread pieces with spices on top.

How to Make

Combine chicken broth, onions, celery, and butter. Cook on top of the stove until soft. Remove and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine cornbread and biscuit crumbles, salt, and pepper. Toss slightly.
To the bowl add the eggs, broth mix, and sage, and stir together.
Place in a greased 13x9" baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until just set but not hard.

Simmering celery, onions, chicken stock, and butter on the stove.

Unbaked Thanksgiving Dressing before heading to the oven.

How to Make Homemade Biscuits and Cornbread for this Recipe

I recommend making the homemade version of the biscuits and cornbread needed for this recipe. It will yield a much better flavor in my option. Because there are so many ways you can do this and prep in advance, it should not add any extra work to your plate. Have a busy Thanksgiving week? No problem - have this done and ready to go in the freezer (see "Prepping Stale Bread" above for different options for making in advance).

If you need to, you can use canned biscuits and a boxed cornbread mix like Jiffy - but just know it will result in a slightly different flavor than this recipe. Especially since the Jiffy cornbread has sugar in it and my cornbread does not.

How to Make Ahead and Freeze Before Thanksgiving

I am a firm believer in making as many things BEFORE Thanksgiving as possible. So many things can be prepped days or months before, and be ready to go in the freezer just needing to be baked off. Included this southern cornbread and biscuit dressing.

TO MAKE IN ADVANCE 24 HOURS BEFORE EATING: Prep dressing all the way up until baking. Wrap airtight and place in the fridge overnight. Bake as directed before serving.

TO MAKE IN ADVANCE MORE THAN A DAY BEFORE EATING/FREEZING: Prep dressing all the way up until baking. Wrap airtight with plastic wrap and/or foil and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. When needed, remove and place in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw (must be thawed before baking). Bake as directed.

A wooden spoon taking a scoop out of Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing in a clear baking dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cornbread stuffing the same as cornbread dressing?

Stuffing and dressing are often used interchangeably. Technically speaking, Thanksgiving stuffing is traditionally "stuffed" inside something, like a turkey, and baked together. Whereas a dressing is typically the same sort of carrying food but baked separately by itself in a baking dish and served alongside the turkey and other sides at Thanksgiving.

Can I Use Canned Biscuits and Boxed Cornbread Mix for this Recipe?

You can, but I recommend not. Making your own biscuits and cornbread will yield a much better flavor for this recipe.

What if I Forget to Make the Bread Beforehand to Dry Out?

No worries - it happens! Just bring it up. the biscuits and cornbread into large crumbles on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 200 for 30ish minutes to stale and dry out and then proceed with the recipe. Do not skip the step of the bread needing to be stale - it is important! See the "Prepping Stale Bread" section under ingredients for different ways to make this ahead of time.

3 small white plates with servings of Thanksgiving dressing on them and a fork next to one.

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes