This dish allows for personal touches, too. Some families add shredded chicken or turkey, some stir in giblets, and others prefer a vegetarian version. Regardless of variation, the foundation stays the same: cornbread, broth, aromatics, and seasoning. It’s simple food made with love and meant for sharing.
Your picture shows a perfectly baked dressinggolden, moist, solid enough to cut into squares but tender all the way through. That’s exactly what true Southern cornbread dressing should look like. Whether served with turkey, chicken, ham, or on its own with gravy poured over the top, this dish represents comfort, nostalgia, and the heart of Southern holiday cooking.
Ingredients
6 cups crumbled cornbread
2 cups day-old bread cubes (optional but adds texture)
1 medium onion, diced
1½ cups chopped celery
4 boiled eggs, chopped
3 raw eggs
4–5 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
In a skillet melt butter and sauté onion and celery until soft.
In a large bowl combine crumbled cornbread, bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, chopped boiled eggs, poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper.
Beat raw eggs and add to mixture.
Pour in chicken broth gradually, stirring until mixture is very moist but not soupy.
Transfer mixture to baking dish and smooth the top.
Bake 40–50 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.