How to Make Cornbread Stuffing

This dish is a personal one. Some Thanksgiving dressing recipes are light and airy, and can almost be tossed around with a spoon. Other dressings are firm and solid, and can almost be cut into uniform squares. Some people stuff their roasted turkey with dressing, in which case the dressing is called stuffing. Others are dead set against stuffing the bird and opt for baking their stuffing in a baking dish, which means it’s called dressing. Some do a combination of both.

Me? I grew up loving my mom’s dressing. She never stuffed the bird, and her dressing fell into the slightly firm and very flavorful category. To serve it, we scooped out helpings with a spoon and for the most part, the stuffing stayed together in one homogenized piece. I still love it today.

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A few years ago, however, I tried my mother-in-law’s dressing for the first time and everything became clear and beautiful. The larger chunks of dried bread break apart to some degree when mixing the dish together, but large chunks remain throughout—and that’s what I love about this dressing. It isn’t soggy at all; even after baking, it remains light and crumbly and beautifully textural. The top gets golden and slightly crisp and it’s just a real feast for the senses! This is just about my favorite Thanksgiving side and one that I make every single year. To me, it’s just as important as the turkey. Put it on your Thanksgiving dinner menu. You’ll thank yourself later!

What’s in Thanksgiving dressing?

Some dressings are basic: a combination of dried bread, aromatics, and dried herbs. Other loaded versions can contain oysters, mushrooms, and even dried fruit and nuts. This simple version calls for bread (three types… more on that below), onion, celery, fresh parsley, and some dried herbs. There’s also butter and lots of chicken stock to moisten the dressing and, in turn, help it hold together.

Should you stuff your turkey with dressing or not?

I’m a big fan of baking Thanksgiving dressing separately in a casserole dish. It’s less complicated, and produces a better textured dressing. When you stuff it inside the cavity of a turkey, the dressing tends to steam, which makes it more mushy. I love a crunchy topping on my dressing, and you just don’t get it when it bakes inside the turkey! You also run the risk of the turkey and dressing not cooking at the same rate when you stuff the bird, which is an invitation for bacteria, and other bad things that you definitely don’t want at your Thanksgiving dinner. So, I play it safe and cook the two separately.

Should Thanksgiving dressing be soft or crispy?

It should be both! This dressing gets golden and crispy on top while the middle cooks up softer as the bread continues to absorb the broth. This version isn’t soggy though—the big chunks of bread keep it from getting that way.

What kind of bread is best for Thanksgiving dressing?

The magic happens when you combine a few different types of bread. I mainly use cornbread with added hunks of crusty Italian bread (like ciabatta) and French bread. It gives the dressing lots of texture. The most important part is to dry the bread for dressing; otherwise, the dressing will be too soupy and mushy. I usually cube the bread and let it sit out a day or two to dry out.

Is Thanksgiving dressing better with or without eggs?

It’s all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don’t use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.

Should dressing be covered when baking?

No, leave your dressing uncovered so it has a chance to crisp up on top. The slightly crunchy, golden brown topping is my favorite part of the whole dish! If you were to cover it, the dressing would more so steam than brown and crisp.

Can you make Thanksgiving dressing ahead of time?

I like to wait to fully assemble the dish until just before baking for the best texture, but there are several things you can do ahead that’ll save you time on Thanksgiving day. First, go ahead and dry your bread up to two days ahead of time. I cube it, place it on a baking tray, and let it hang out on the counter until it’s super dry. Secondly, you can sauté the veggies and make the broth mixture a day ahead. Store it in the fridge, then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove before ladling it over the bread.