Quick Cornbread Dressing

If you’re looking for an easy, versatile side dish that can be paired with various entrees, make this easy cornbread dressing recipe your new go-to. It’s crunchy, creamy and packed with bold flavor that’s just as sweet as savory. The best part? It’s super quick and easy to prepare. It’s an easy dish that can be adapted with different flavors. Add smoky bacon or spicy jalapeño for a fun way to add even more complex flavor to the hearty side dish. 

Store-bought cornbread stuffing cubes are the key to making this dish quick and hands-off. Mix the ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined, pile into a casserole dish or skillet, then bake until crispy, crunchy and golden. It pairs nicely with hearty dishes like roast chicken, pulled pork or beef tenderloin. 

Ingredients for Easy Cornbread Dressing

• Cornbread stuffing cubes: The backbone of any easy stuffing recipe, store-bought cubes are super easy to season and use. They come already cut into uniform shapes and sizes and cook quickly with a little moisture and mix-ins, and they do a fantastic job soaking up all the juices and flavor of the rest of the recipe.
• Onion: Earthy, sweet and a little bit spicy, onions are key to creating deep flavor in almost any savory recipe; this one included. Make sure to chop these finely to blend in with the celery and creamed corn. 
• Celery: Crunchy and earthy, celery helps develop deep, complex flavors in this recipe. It works with the onion to create the basis of a traditional “mirepoix” that’s common in most stuffing or dressing recipes. 
• Cream-style corn: The sweet, savory, and decadent creamed corn helps the cornbread cubes with moisture. It’s the perfect way to balance out the flavors of the butter and spicy brown mustard in this easy cornbread dressing recipe. 
• Butter: It provides moisture, flavor and fat. Butter is essential to any homestyle stuffing or dressing recipe. Once melted it soaks into the stuffing cubes and adds a savory, rich flavor. 
• Spicy brown mustard: With all the rich, decadent flavors from butter and creamed corn, this recipe needs a little zest. Spicy brown mustard is ready for the job! It’s complex, packed with gentle heat, and super tangy.

Directions    

Step 1: Combine and mix thoroughly

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing, onion, celery, corn and water. Spoon the mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. 

Step 2: Season and bake

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Combine the butter and mustard and drizzle it over the stuffing. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Easy Cornbread Dressing Variations 

• Add jalapeños: A little bit of heat goes a long way, and this easy cornbread dressing recipe can easily be brightened up with the addition of diced jalapeños. Jalapeños and cornbread are a timeless combination that makes for an easy upgrade to this recipe.
• Bake in a cast iron skillet: Everyone’s favorite part of dressing is the crusty edges, so why not ensure that every edge is equally crispy? A cast iron skillet is a great way to achieve crunchy edges that are consistently golden throughout the entire pan. 

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

How Long Does Easy Cornbread Dressing Last? 

When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this simple cornbread dressing can last for two to three days. Let it cool to room temperature before placing it in a storage container, then close the lid and transfer to a refrigerator. In fact, this recipe can taste even better the day after making it, once the flavors have even more time to soak in. 

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

The key difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is typically cooked inside a bird while dressing is cooked outside the bird in a casserole dish or sheet pan. This is a traditional dressing recipe cooked in a casserole dish, rather than the cavity of a chicken or turkey. 

Can you add meat to this easy cornbread dressing recipe?

Absolutely! If you want to make this dish even heartier, add some meat! Adding meat is a great way to make this recipe more wholesome and filling. Just make sure to cook it first before adding it to the mix. Crumbled spicy sausage, chopped bacon, or pancetta cubes all make great options. 

What can you serve this easy cornbread dressing with?

This recipe makes a fantastic side dish for a variety of menu items. It’s an easy option to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s also a great side dish to serve alongside a rack of ribs at a backyard barbecue. It’s a hearty side dish that goes well with roast chicken or steak, too.