Stuffing is never boring when there is bacon involved! This Cornbread Stuffing recipe has tons of bacon as well as sage and thyme to get those classic Thanksgiving aromas going on. The perfect side dish to go with turkey and gravy! Originally published November 2, 2018.
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Eric woke up last Sunday thinking it was already daylight savings time. He woke up, stretched, and was like, I feel great with an extra hour of sleep! I’m like um, I think that’s the placebo effect, because daylight savings is definitely next week.
I’m very ready for the time change, who’s with me? It’s 6:40am right now and blacker than black outside. I get up early to write blog posts, when there are no blessed children around, but it’s getting lonely feeling like I got up in the middle of the night! I am sad about the sun setting so early though. It’s always such a shock, isn’t it?
We had our family photos taken a few weeks ago! It’s the first time we’ve had them done in 4 years, oops. When Valentine was born 2 years ago we had newborn photos done, and the photographer did snap a few of our whole family, but if you think I’m going to put pictures of myself up on the wall 5 days postpartum you’ve got another thing coming.
This was the only way we could get Valentine to smile. She kept running out of the picture, or glaring fiercely at the photographer. Eric would throw her in the air until she was laughing and then hurry to step closer to us so that Susanne could get a picture before Valentine started shouting “Again! Again!”
Truman decided during the photo shoot that photo bombing was the funniest thing ever. I’m surprised you can’t see him in the background of any of these. The photographer probably had to edit him out.
Valentine is trying to run out of this picture. I’m so excited to get these up on the wall, but also now we have to narrow down which ones we want. I’ve already put it off for weeks, they are just too cute! Look at their little faces! Ahh. Time flies, you guys.
You will love this recipe for Cornbread Dressing
It’s CORNBREAD STUFFING TIME!
Guys, listen, I am just not a stuffing person. It’s never been tempting enough to me, because we only have it when there are a million other sides to choose from. Who wants soggy bread when there are mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls for heaven’s sake?
Well I’m officially a stuffing convert. My cousin Lani told me a few years ago that cornbread stuffing was the way to go, so I decided to put it to the test. I bought cornbread from the deli at the grocery store, because I’m lazy, and because isn’t there enough going on at Thanksgiving?? Cut corners where you can, guys, no one is going to notice store bought corn bread. (Update: I have since posting this found my favorite cornbread recipe! Sweet and Moist Honey Cornbread. It would taste amazing in this stuffing!)
I decided that since I’m not a stuffing person, the best way to amp up the flavor was to add bacon and my favorite Thanksgiving herb, sage. (Sage Butter Roasted Turkey is my favorite for the big day. See, sage is the best.)
Bacon is a GOOD CHOICE when it comes to cornbread stuffing. So much flavor! Lani was right, cornbread really is better than regular dried bread. I feel like the Stovetop-style bread cubes just get soggy and sad when they get mushed into stuffing. Cornbread, if you are careful not to pulverize it while mixing, keeps that sturdy shape and gives you these amazingly buttery, crispy edges that are to die for. Plus you get that sweet and subtle honey flavor, and who’s going to say no to a little bacon and honey action?
(Also: I have mended my ways on traditional bread stuffing, at least when it’s my recipe for Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing. This stuff turns hardcore stuffing haters into stuffing lovers, me included!)
How to make Cornbread Stuffing
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this cornbread stuffing. Scroll down to the recipe card below for complete instructions!
- Tear the cornbread into bite-sized chunks. Spread out on 2 large baking sheets. Let the cornbread sit out uncovered (I left mine in the turned-off oven) overnight or for several hours. If you don’t have time to let it sit out overnight before toasting, it will probably get toasty enough when you bake it in the oven. Just make sure you flip the pieces of cornbread over a couple times while you’re baking, and you will probably have to go longer than 10 minutes.
- Bake the two pans of cornbread at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Flip the cornbread if necessary and bake a little longer if they are not dried out. Return the cornbread to the turned-off oven so that it can keep drying out while you prepare the rest of the stuffing.
3. Chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook over medium heat until crispy. Don’t overdo Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
4. Chop onions and celery. Heat the bacon grease in the pan over medium heat until it is shimmery and add the onion and celery. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the celery is soft. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh sage and fresh thyme to the onions and saute for another minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
5. Add the dried cornbread to a very large bowl and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Scrape the onions and celery into the bowl, and return the pan to the oven (don’t wash it). Add the bacon to the bowl.
7. Return the empty pan to medium heat and add cider vinegar. Cook over medium heat, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has nearly evaporated.
8. Add a stick of butter to the pan and melt completely. Pour the butter over the cornbread in the bowl, scraping the pan well.
9. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together turkey stock and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Slowly pour the stock mixture over the bowl with the cornbread, stopping to carefully and gently stir. Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Scrape the stuffing mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Top the stuffing with chopped butter.
11. Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and cover the stuffing, sealing the edges.
12. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until warmed throughout. Then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil from the pan. Bake at 450 for another 20 minutes or so until crispy.
How to serve this recipe for Cornbread Dressing
With turkey and mashed potatoes, of course! Honestly I wouldn’t say no to a serving of this alongside another cornbread friend, like pulled pork, mac and cheese, or chili. Who says cornbread dressing is only for Thanksgiving??
How to store Cornbread Stuffing
Cornbread stuffing is definitely the most delicious on the first day when it’s crispy on the edges. It’s soooo good. But if you have leftovers, refrigerate them, tightly covered so they won’t dry out. The stuffing will last in the fridge for 3-4 days, or you can freeze it for 3-4 months. You could even freeze individual portions with slices of leftover turkey and a scoop of mashed potatoes for a “Thanksgiving anytime” dinner for one.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe FAQs
The thickness of cornbread dressing is determined by two factors: how much you’ve dried your cornbread, and how much broth/stock you add. I recommend drying your cornbread out for several hours (or even overnight) before baking it at 400 degrees. When you’re adding your broth, I recommend starting with 2 ½ cups, but gradually adding a little more to make sure the cornbread is thoroughly moistened. We’re looking for something like “damp” and not “drenched.”
Your cornbread dressing is watery, now what?? You probably added too much broth, but all is not lost. Once you’ve removed the foil after the initial 30-minute bake, you’ll let the cornbread crisp up for that last 20 minutes. At this point, if you’re noticing that it still seems too soggy, you will want to put the foil back on, just tented over the top, so the dressing doesn’t burn. Try baking for another 5 minutes, then another 5, and so on, until the liquid absorbs into the bread. Some liquid will also evaporate into the oven.
Cornbread dressing is done when the liquid broth has been soaked up by the bread and the dressing is moist but not wet. The top and edges of the dressing should be crispy, but not burned. If you’re not sure about the texture, grab a spoon and remove a piece from the edge and another piece from the center. Let them cool for 30 seconds before tasting so you don’t burn the roof of your mouth off right before dinner.
Yes, someone might notice that you have nabbed some dressing. They should be grateful you are making sure it is perfect for them!
If Thanksgiving classics are your heart’s desire go check out my recipes for Crescent Rolls (The BEST) and from scratch Green Bean Casserole. Totally epic. Thanksgiving forever!
P.S. If you love cornbread stuffing, you are also going to love this Sweet Creamed Corn Casserole I just posted! It’s like a mix between creamed corn and cornbread. Perfect for Thanksgiving!
More Thanksgiving side dishes you will love!
Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing << I used to think I only like cornbread stuffing, then I created this recipe. Now I’m obsessed, you will be too!
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy for Thanksgiving << I never skip making this. It makes Thanksgiving SO much easier.
Gruyere-Crisped Potatoes Au Gratin << my favorite scalloped potatoes!
Mushroom, Toasted Fennel, and Sausage Stuffing from Big Bear’s Wife
Turkey and Stuffing Turnovers from A Family Feast
Sausage Cranberry Stuffing from Mama Loves Food
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Homemade Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon and Sage
Ingredients
- cornbread, One 9×13 inch pan
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon, about 12 ounces
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, including some leaves, about 2 1/2 cups
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 2 & 1/2 cups turkey stock, or chicken stock, plus more**
- 2 large eggs
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, chopped
Instructions
- Tear the cornbread into bite-sized chunks. Spread out on 2 large baking sheets. Let the cornbread sit out uncovered (I left mine in the turned-off oven) overnight or for several hours.*
- Bake the two pans of cornbread at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Flip the cornbread if necessary and bake a little longer if they are not dried out. Return the cornbread to the turned-off oven so that it can keep drying out while you prepare the rest of the stuffing.
- Chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Don’t overdo it, or the bacon will get to crunchy when you bake it later. It should be cooked but still flexible. Remove the pan from the heat, and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Leave all that bacon grease in the pan.
- Chop 2 onions and 4 stalks of celery. For extra flavor, I love to chop some of the celery leaves. (In fact, I never remove celery stalks. I just start chopping the entire head of celery from the leaf end until it looks like I have about 2 and 1/2 cups. Those leaves have tons of flavor!)
- Heat the bacon grease in the pan over medium heat until it is shimmery. Add the onion and celery. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the celery is soft. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 2 tablespoons fresh sage and 2 teaspoons fresh thyme to the onions and saute for another 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Add the dried cornbread to a very large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scrape the onions and celery into the bowl, and return the pan to the oven (don’t wash it). Add the bacon to the bowl.
- Return the empty pan to medium heat and add 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Cook over medium heat, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
- Add a stick of butter to the pan and melt completely. Pour the butter over the cornbread in the bowl, scraping the pan well. (You can finally put it in the sink now.)
- In glass measuring cup, whisk together 2 and 1/2 cups turkey stock** and 2 eggs. Season with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Slowly pour the stock mixture over the bowl with the cornbread, stopping to carefully and gently stir. You don’t want to demolish your cornbread, try to keep it from falling apart. If it’s dried out enough, it should be okay. Add more stock as necessary to make sure that the cornbread is rehydrated.
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Scrape the stuffing mixture into the pan and spread out evenly.
- Top the stuffing with 4 tablespoons of chopped butter.
- Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and cover the stuffing, sealing the edges.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until warmed throughout.
- Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil from the pan. Bake at 450 for another 20 minutes or so, keeping an eye on it because every oven is different. You want the top to get crispy but not burned. The edges of the pan should also be crispy.
- Serve with turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes!
This is my new favorite stuffing! It was a delicious addition to our Thanksgiving meal. Many of our family members don’t typically care for stuffing, but this received many compliments. Thank you!!!
So good! Only thing is I did not stir it enough and some had burned. Stir every hour and watch your heat. I can’t even tell you how moist and delicious this was. I might not have tasted the bacon specifically but it added a nice savory taste that works well with the corn bread. So so good. I have never had luck with stuffing. Always too dry. This was great. My go to now.
Do you think you could bake this in muffin tins for individual portions?
Oh Crystal now that this a fabulous idea. Yes, totally! grease the tin really well with butter or spray so it comes out super easy. Hello crispy edges! Bake time will be less, you will have to keep an eye on it and use your best judgment!
hello hello! starting my thanksgiving shopping early and was wondering if salted or unsalted butter was best for this recipe?
Hi Julia! I always use salted butter! But you can use either kind that you prefer! I always love a little extra salt :) Enjoy!
I made this for Thanksgiving today, and it was amazing! The family loved it. I love sweet and salty flavors together, so the cornbread and bacon paired really well. It is quite a bit more work than throwing Stove Top in a pan, but it is so much better and so worth it. I also don’t really care for the mushy consistency of Stove Top. I prefer a crunchier stuffing, and this recipe was the perfect crunchy texture. It makes quite a large batch, so we have plenty of leftovers to enjoy later. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I’m totally with you Rhonda, crispy topped stuffing forever! Stove top will never do again haha. Thank you so much for taking the time to review. Happy Thanksgiving!
This was delicious! People said it was their favorite part of the thanksgiving meal. I normally don’t like stuffing, but I really enjoyed this.
I’m with you Hannah, I usually don’t love stuffing but this one always hits the spot! So glad you liked it, thanks for commenting!
This looks delicious! Maybe this is a dumb question…. Could this recipe work to be cooked in the bird?
Hi Julia! I dont see why not! I haven’t tried it. I would make the recipe as stated, then look up some stuffed-bird recipes for info about how long to cook, etc. Hope it works out! Enjoy!
Have you tried making this a day or 2 ahead of time and reheating?
Hi Elizabeth! I have not. I’m not sure how well it would work out, I would worry that everything would get soggy. Let me know if you try it and how it goes!
I made this stuffing last year and it was a complete hit. I brought the leftovers to work and all my co-workers raved about it. This is now my go to Christmas stuffing. Please keep putting bacon in everything.
I’m going to frame this and put it on the wall in my kitchen. “Please keep putting bacon in everything.” Amen and amen. haha! Thanks for the review Dustin, so glad you liked it!
Howdy neighbor! Guess who tried your recipe this year? It was fabulous. Alex said it was his favorite dish at the table. I only made one small addition – I had some kale on hand, so I tore it up and added it to the onions & celery for some extra veggies at the table. Hope you all had a wonderful day!
Yay!! How fun! I’m so glad you loved the recipe, it’s hard to go wrong with bacon haha. And the kale! Love it! Great idea. I’m thankful for awesome neighbors like you guys! Happy Thanksgiving Erica!
Made this again for Thanksgiving this year – so good! It may become a staple, since it’s the best stuffing we’ve ever had. :)
Remind me why I don’t just move to your house so you can constantly feed me all this delicious food? Oh yeah, I’d weigh 700 pounds, I’m forgetting… I’ll just have to wait for Thanksgiving!
And – all the pictures, just scatter some in each room, they’re adorable – especially the high flyer :)
This sounds delicious! I would like to make the day before but not too sure how to warm up for Thanksgiving dinner. Could you please give me some guidance. Thank you!
Your stuffing sounds amazing. I love cornbread stuffing with sage. Now I’ll have to try it with bacon.
Your family photos are beautiful; buy them all. Years from now, you’ll be glad you did.
Yes, do try it with the bacon Debby! And I think you’re right, maybe I’ll just put ALL of them up! ;)
It’s called stuffing only when it’s cooked inside the bird. When cooked in a dish, it is called dressing. It’s my favorite thanksgiving dish and your recipe sounds great. Bacon makes everything better!
Thanks Barb! Bacon for the win, right??
I LOVE the family photos! I’d have a hard time choosing which ones to enlarge, too!
I have to say, I’ve always thought we were so similar……until I read you are not a fan of stuffing! 😳 Stuffing is one of my faves! In fact, I rarely eat turkey on Thanksgiving because, well, why when you have stuffing, yams, rolls, green been casserole, and then…..PIE! I am “the carb queen” on holidays!
Your Thanksgiving recipes look GREAT so far, so I’m looking forward to more! Have a beautiful day, and thanks for the laughs and recipes!
Collette
Haha! I know, I think I’m a weirdo that I don’t love regular stuffing. But I’m finally coming around, see?? I’ve seen the light ;) I think we can still be carb queens together Collette! Haha!