Easy Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe:

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This easy Thanksgiving dressing recipe is a Southern classic made with homemade cornbread and chicken. It’s been in my family for as long as I can remember, and it’s the perfect old-fashioned side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any family gathering.

I could eat cornbread dressing all by itself! It’s always been one of my favorite dishes on the holiday table.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time. In fact, I think it tastes even better the next day.

Since you love dressing as a side dish, you’ll love this easy-to-make recipe. And best of all, it’s a simple make-ahead dish that tastes even better the next day.

Here in the South, we call it cornbread dressing, although I know friends in other parts of the country call it stuffing. I suppose it depends on where you grew up. Either way, it’s delicious!

Before we get started, there’s something you should know about this recipe. Neither my mom nor my grandma ever measured ingredients when they cooked, at least not that I remember.

This old-fashioned cornbread dressing was one of those recipes. They used simple, made-from-scratch ingredients and relied on taste rather than measurements. Their way of knowing when the seasoning was just right was to take a little taste with a spoon before putting it in the oven.

So that’s exactly what I did. I made the dressing, tasted it, and carefully wrote down the amounts as I went. After some trial and error, I finally had measurements I could share with you so you can make this family recipe in your own kitchen.

Growing up, we had homemade cornbread on the table almost every night. When Thanksgiving rolled around, Mom would save leftover cornbread for several days so she’d have enough to make her dressing. Occasionally, if she didn’t have quite enough cornbread, she’d add a few biscuits.

How To Make Thanksgiving Dressing With Chicken

STEP 1: Make ahead – Cornbread and Biscuits

For the best taste, the bread for this made from scratch stuffing, should be “day-old-bread.” So cook both biscuits and cornbread the day before you plan to cook the dressing. Store bought light-bread can be used, but it will not taste as good.

Allow them both to set out, at room temperature, overnight. I did cover mine with a clean towel as I remember my mom doing.

Next morning, in a large mixing bowl, crumble homemade cornbread and biscuits into small pieces and set aside.

These don’t necessarily have to be bite-size. The cornbread will crumble into tiny pieces easily and you can tear biscuits into smaller pieces.

STEP 2: Boil Chicken

In a sauce pan, boil chicken until is it fully cooked. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Then using a fork, shred it into small pieces.

STEP 3: Saute Onions and Celery

In a cast-iron skillet, saute chopped celery and onions in real butter until both are tender. Pour into crumbled bread crumbs and mix well.

STEP 4: Combine Additional Ingredients

Add shredded chicken, poultry seasoning, and salt and mix all together. Add chicken broth slowly being careful not to make it too wet or it will be “doughy.”

It should be a consistency that holds it’s shape when you squeeze it in your hand.

This recipe makes a really good sized side dish. So be sure to use a large casserole dish for baking. I use this old vintage Corning Ware dish I’ve had for years. But I’ve also used these Pyrex dishes too. It really depends on what else I’m cooking.

Pour into a large buttered casserole dish and bake at 350° until bread crumbles are brown on top. About 1 hour.

Can I Make Thanksgiving Dressing Ahead?

Yes! This recipe is easy to make ahead two different ways. And actually, I prefer day-old dressing over fresh from the oven. The ingredients have had time to marinate well and to me, it tastes even better.

Here are both ways to make this recipe ahead. All you need to do is follow this recipe, and cook it the day before or even 2 days before and keep it in refrigerator.

1. Follow recipe and don’t bake it. Simply place it in a covered casserole dish and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, remove and bake until brown on top.
2. Go ahead and bake. Allow to cool at room temperature, then cover and place in refrigerator. The next day, place it in the oven on 250° and reheat. It tastes wonderful!

The second way reminds me of having holiday left-overs. I’ve always thought Thanksgiving dinner or even Christmas dinner left-overs tasted better the next day. Even the turkey.

How Long Can Dressing Be Refrigerated?

This homemade Thanksgiving dressing recipe will keep in the refrigerator safely for 4 days if covered. This means you have until Monday to enjoy your homemade dressing.

Then it will store in the freezer for up to one month. Yum!

Other Delicious Holiday Recipes

• How To Cook A Juicy Turkey
• Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Onions
• Southern Fried Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Carrots

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