Cornbread Stuffing

By Taylor Ann SpencerUpdated: Nov 14, 2023

Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

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cornbread stuffing in an oval casserole dish

PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Stuffing and cornbread lovers unite: Your favorite Thanksgiving side dish has arrived. Crisp cornbread croutons are tossed with buttery sage, onion, and celery and baked until toasty golden brown on top and warm and custardy inside for a cornbread stuffing that will upstage even the turkey. Here are some tips on how to make it:

The secret ingredient:
Creating the corniest cornbread possible is key to getting the best-ever cornbread stuffing. Buttermilk might be typical in many recipes, but in testing, we found that the tangy dairy actually obscured the corn flavor in the finished stuffing. Our solution? Double down on the corn flavor by cutting most of the dairy and swapping in canned creamed corn for the liquid. The resulting cornbread is delicious enough to eat straight out of the pan.

Tip: Prefer meat in your stuffing? Check out our cornbread dressing that's bulked up with Italian sausage.

How to get the perfect texture:
Drying out the cornbread is also key to achieving the best flavor in your stuffing. Cornbread with less moisture will better absorb the aromatic notes of the buttery onions, celery, and herbs, and it will also absorb the eggy broth more easily, resulting in a more cohesive stuffing. Don’t skip this step. If you have time, you can bake the cornbread the day before, cut it into cubes, and spread those cubes onto a baking sheet to dry out at room temperature overnight. But if that isn’t in the cards, you can also bake the cubed cornbread at 200° until it feels dry to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.

Storage:
Leftover cornbread stuffing can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you like, you can also freeze it in an airtight container (or airtight plastic bag) for up to 1 month.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

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Yields:: 8 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 30 mins
Total Time:: 3 hrs
Cal/Serv:: 702

Ingredients

Cornbread

1/2 c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled, plus more, softened, for pan
2 c.
(240 g.) all-purpose flour
2 c.
(240 g.) cornmeal
1/3 c.
(66 g.) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp.
baking powder
1 tsp.
kosher salt
4
large eggs, room temperature
1
(15-oz.) can creamed corn
1/4 c.
whole milk

Stuffing

1 c.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided, plus more, softened, for pan
1
white or yellow onion, finely chopped
3
stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 tsp.
kosher salt, divided
1/4 c.
loosely packed finely chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp.
finely chopped thyme
4
large eggs, room temperature
2 c.
low-sodium chicken stock

Directions

Cornbread
1. Step 1Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Grease a 13" x 9" baking dish with butter.
2. Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Whisk in creamed corn, milk, and melted butter. Fold in dry ingredients with a rubber spatula just until combined. Pour egg mixture into prepared dish.
3. Step 3Bake cornbread until golden brown around the edges and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes in pan.
4. Step 4Cut cornbread into 4 large pieces. Using a flexible spatula, lift pieces out of pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
5. Step 5If making the stuffing that day, reduce oven temperature to 200°. Using oven mitts, arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Cut cornbread into 1/2" cubes and spread in a single layer between 2 baking sheets.
6. Step 6Bake bread, rotating sheets top to bottom halfway through, until dry to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely.
7. Step 7Make Ahead: Cornbread can be made 1 day ahead. After cooling, cut into cubes and spread between 2 baking sheets. Let sit, uncovered, at room temperature overnight.
Stuffing
1. Step 1Preheat oven to 375° and grease a 13" x 9" baking dish with butter.
2. Step 2In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 stick butter. Add onion, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and onion is sweet to the taste, 7 to 9 minutes. Add sage and thyme, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 stick butter until melted.
3. Step 3In a large glass measuring cup, whisk eggs until blended. Add stock and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and whisk until combined.
4. Step 4In a large bowl, combine cornbread and onion mixture and toss to combine. Drizzle egg mixture over and gently toss until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
5. Step 5Bake stuffing until golden brown and crispy on top and heated through, 30 to 35 minutes.