Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (2024)

This bacon cornbread stuffing recipe is the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving dinner.

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (1)

Cornbread Bacon Stuffing Recipe

I am very picky when it comes to stuffing/dressing. The stuff from the box? I just can’t do it – I think it is mostly a texture thing for me. Anyway, I have not been very interested in stuffing in the past, but this cornbread stuffing with bacon is a game changer for me! Everyone that has tried this recipe has loved it!Maybe it’s the bacon. 😉

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (2)

Homemade vs Store-Bought Cornbread

Feel free to purchase cornbread for the stuffing, but I have to warn you…homemade is better! That’s why I have included an easy cornbread recipe for you (find it below).

Also, the cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance. So really, just go for the homemade one if at all possible! It will make yourbacon cornbread stuffing taste so much better.

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (3)

Cornbread Tips:

You can do all cornbread if you want to skip the white bread. Just double the cornbread recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan for the same amount of time. Voila.

P.S. Avoid using a sweet, cake-like cornbread for this stuffing recipe – it will taste a little off with the other savory flavors. The cornbread recipe you’ll find below works wonderfully.

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (4)

Easy Bacon Infused Vegetables:

That’s right, just throw the onion, celery, and garlic right in there with the bacon and its grease. A little bacon magic happening there.

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (5)

Why This Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Is the Best

A few of the reasons why I like this stuffing recipe so much are the flavor and the texture.The flavor is on point with the sage, fresh parsley, and bacon, and by cooking the veggies in the bacon grease, the bacon flavor is infused throughout the entire dish. It’s delicious but not too overpowering.

Quick tip:I use dried/rubbed sage for convenience, but keep the parsley fresh.

Another thing I like about this recipe is that I don’t feel like there’s much of a soggy bread texture to this stuffing, which I really like. It isn’t too dry either though. It’s pretty much perfect! 🙂

Plus, it is fun to impress people by saying you made the delicious stuffing from scratch. 😉

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (6)

Final Tips

You can try slow cooking this bacon cornbread stuffing recipe, but you may lose some of that great texture that you get from baking it in the oven. If you want to give it a try anyway, follow the recipe directions, but cook the stuffing on lowin the slow cooker for 4-5 hours.

One more note: You can reserve 4 1/2 cups of the stuffing for the stuffing of the turkey, then spoon the remaining stuffing into a 9×9 baking dish and bake that in the oven. I prefer to bake all of the stuffing in a 9×13 and serve it on the side, which I guess makes it actually “dressing” and not “stuffing.” 😉

Either way, I hope you try it out because it is worth it! So good!

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (7)

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Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (8)

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (9)

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

This bacon cornbread stuffing recipe is the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving dinner.

4.73 / 5 ( 33 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 12

Adjust Servings: 12

Equipment

  • 8x8 inch pan

  • Large skillet

Ingredients

Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread Dressing/Stuffing

  • 8x8 pan cornbread from above, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 8 slices white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 6 slices bacon chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 ¾ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.

  • For the cornbread: Grease an 8x8 baking dish or pan for the cornbread. Whisk milk, oil, and eggs in a medium bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. (Cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

  • For the dressing/stuffing: Spread cubed cornbread and bread onto two baking sheets and bake until dry and golden, about 15 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in sage and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

  • Add cornbread, bread, lightly beaten eggs, broth, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bowl and toss until combined. Let sit 5 minutes, then toss again.

  • If serving as a side dish/dressing and not stuffing the turkey, spoon mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and bake until top is toasted golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

  • For stuffing: Reserve 4 1/2 cups for turkey, then spoon remaining stuffing into a 9x9 baking dish. Bake until top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

The baked cornbread can be left in its pan at room temperature overnight or up to 2 days before making the stuffing, instead of oven drying (in step 3). You can skip the white bread and do all cornbread if you want, just double the cornbread recipe and bake it in a 9x13 for the same amount of time.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 665mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cornbread stuffing and cornbread dressing? ›

So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

What is the best way to dry out cornbread for stuffing? ›

I got you! Bake in cubes at 350 for 15 minutes, toss and bake again for 10-15 minutes. And you have stuffing bread.

How to make Paula Deen cornbread dressing? ›

In a large bowl, whisk together broth, soup, eggs, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper; stir in vegetable mixture. Crumble cornbread into broth mixture and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake until center is set, 45 to 55 minutes.

What is stuffing called in the South? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing black folks? ›

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

Should you stir stuffing? ›

The bread in the stuffing absorbs moisture, but if it's dry (as it should be, see above), it takes some time for the liquid to settle in. I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix. Give it a good stir, then let it sit for a minute. The stuffing should be moist but not wet.

Can you leave cornbread out overnight for dressing? ›

Be sure to leave enough time — the cornbread needs to sit out overnight to harden slightly before you make the dressing.

How do you keep cornbread dressing from getting gummy? ›

Stir occasionally to ensure even drying. And if your dressing is still too mushy after baking, you can add more crumbled cornbread, dry bread, or even dry breadcrumbs or croutons to absorb excess moisture. Mix it in gently, so you don't compress the dressing too much.

What is the difference between cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

She notes that Northern cornbread is sweeter, lighter, and more cake-like than Southern cornbread. Not surprisingly, it includes sugar (or molasses, in the earlier centuries), unlike traditional Southern cornbread.

What is the difference between stuffing filling and dressing? ›

To understand the difference between the two, all you have to do is look at the cooking method. Stuffing is stuffed (literally) inside the cavity of the turkey, while dressing is roasted in a separate casserole dish.

What is cornbread stuffing mix made of? ›

TOASTED WHITE BREAD AND CORNBREAD CROUTONS (UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SUGAR, SALT, CORN MEAL, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUNFLOWER OIL, YEAST, CANOLA OIL, ASCORBIC ACID [DOUGH CONDITIONER], ROSEMARY EXTRACT [TO PRESERVE]), DEHYDRATED ONION, ...

What is the difference between cornbread dressing and stuffing in the South? ›

How do you make cornbread dressing? The difference is stuffing is just that - it's stuffed into the turkey & baked with the bird. Dressing is the same stuffing mix only it's baked in another container, but not in the bird. You can stuff other proteins such as chicken, pork chops or even a beef roast.

Why is it called dressing instead of stuffing? ›

The term dressing, per the History Channel, originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to chicken legs and thighs.

Do Southerners say stuffing or dressing? ›

Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.

What is cornbread dressing made of? ›

Add sautéed onion and celery to the crumbled cornbread. Stir in chicken stock, eggs, sage, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour dressing into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until dressing just starts to turn golden brown around the edges, about 30 minutes.

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