Cornbread and Sage Dressing Recipe
Cornbread and sage dressing is the root of just about any southern table and this version uses the ingredients your grandma had on hand that warmed your heart every year. Perfect when made ahead, frozen and rewarmed on the big day.
I missed it so much. Sure we’ve had plenty of Thanksgiving meals in that 7 years, but my husband’s family eats some sort of a dressing/custard concoction that I can’t seem to swallow and by the time we make it to my family we’ve had so much turkey and sides we don’t want any more–so we have smoked pork loin and anything but mashed potatoes, dressing, and gravy.
So I lost this experience. If you can have an experience with dressing.
Yesterday I made this batch and put them into the oven then I headed out to handle the chores. That means:
- put on your bulky Carhartt coveralls and all the accessories that smash your good hair day
- feed the chickens
- water the chickens
- get the eggs
- feed and water the dogs
- unload firewood in the garage
- take the big cart to the barn and gather new firewood (smash your finger multiple times while you’re doing this if you want the full effect)
- bring the big cart back to the house
- bring the firewood in
In case you’re wondering, that takes me about 20 minutes.
When I came back in the house, I almost cried. The smell. It smelled like my childhood home and I could almost see myself at 12 years old watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and waiting for my family to eat with us. It was hard and nice all at the same time.
Tips for the best cornbread and sage dressing
I know it may seem odd to make dressing into balls–and you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just spread it into a greased baking dish and bake it for the same amount of time. Balls are just how we did it.
This dressing is moist and just classic–cornbread, sage, and perfect with your holiday dishes. Make your cornbread a day ahead so you don’t feel like you’re working too hard. You can learn how to make cornbread or make a mix, either is fine. I also use Better than Bouillon Chicken Base in the place of traditional store bought stock (no one paid me to say that). You can find it in your grocery store in a glass jar just below the regular stock. Mix it in water according to the package directions. Of course regular stock works fine, I just like the flavor better from the base.
And of course if you can use homemade stock, that’s the absolute best and always what I favor most.
Cornbread and Sage Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups crumbled cornbread crumble it and then measure
- 4 slices white bread torn into 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 egg
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth 12 ounces, you can add a bit more if your mix seems dry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a large bowl mix all the ingredients except the broth and toss well.
- Add the broth and mix. If it seems dry, add a little more. Dressing should be wet but not have standing liquid in the bottom.
- Form baseball size balls or spread in a greased 8×8 baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes until heated through and lightly brown on the top.
Nutrition
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for posting this! Do you use fine ground sage, ground sage flakes or fresh sage? I have a jar each of the ground sage and the flakes, but if you recommend fresh sage, I’ll have the hubby run to the store and buy some. 😉
Merry Christmas!
Julie
Julie I’ve done ground and fresh. Obviously you need a lot more fresh if you go that route but I wrote the recipe for dried ground sage. –Rachel
Sounds wonderful, and it so does bring back warm family memories. Actually, I use a large ice cream scoop and plop it on a large sheet pan. Makes just the right size serving, and browns up great!
I was always taught to cook the onion & celery first before adding to the mixture because the celery won’t be done & will tend to be a little crunchy.what is your opinion to this?
Hey Rara, the celery in this does still have some body but it’s not crunchy. I think it depends on the size of the celery. You are welcome to sautee yours in advance if you would like to though. –Rachel
My mother made something similar to this. Such good memories. She didn’t use sage. You either like it or you don’t. She also used Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix. Then plopped then on a sheet pan like a drop biscuit. You get extra crispy bits that way
These are great and solve the problem of fighting over who gets the crispy part at the top! My daughter’s mother in law taught me to do this…she lives in KY …but they always do turkey hash (yuk) rather than the whole bird~
Noooo turkey hash for me either Kathy! Ew. –Rachel
This is just like my grandmother’s dressing, made into balls and everything. It is so good! I’m going to make it for Christmas, even if I’m the only one who eats it. The tast, the smell, it takes me back to my childhood and the beast holiday memories.
I made it and it was great! Very yummy!
I’m so glad Kenny! Thank you for letting me know! I love it too. 🙂 –Rachel
I need to try this method! I bet the individual servings are great!
Dressing/stuffing is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving… and I’m so happy you made this because it sounds absolutely delicious. My family doesn’t do cornbread dressing, as my mom is from “up north,” but I’ve come to enjoy it over the years. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was intrigued by the assembly of these into balls — I bet they’re delicious!
Happy almost Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, my friend!
Rachel Ballard, I don’t put white bread or celery in mine. I make the cornbread the night before. Mix with salt, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning, onion. I cover it and let the flavors blend till I’m ready to put it in the oven. When the turkey is done the next day I add the egg, and turkey broth, make my balls but not baseball size. Yummy. Mom probably never had celery so I never developed a taste for it. Either way letting it set and absorb the flavors into the bread is key for me.
Glad you have a recipe you like Darlene.