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    Home » Side Dishes » Kentucky Cornbread Stuffing - A Southern Thanksgiving Dish

    Published: Nov 10, 2020 · Modified: Feb 26, 2022 by Nancy · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Kentucky Cornbread Stuffing - A Southern Thanksgiving Dish

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Kentucky cornbread stuffing -- butter, sage, onion, celery, and from-scratch cornbread make up this tasty Southern side dish. Old fashioned, down home country taste!

    Kentucky cornbread stuffing in a casserole dish

    No one knows for sure exactly what was served at the first Thanksgiving, but given the date and the territory, wild game birds and rice were likely on the menu. The first written record of stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey appeared in 1836, although it could have been going on long before that.

    Southern Dressing - Tasty Seasoned Cornbread

    Different regions include different items in their bread stuffing, including sausage, fruit, nuts, and oysters, among other things. In the South, a seasoned cornbread stuffing is the long-held traditional holiday side dish. Coming from a family of Appalachian Kentucky natives, it was Kevin's favorite. After we got married, he suggested I learn to make his mom's recipe.

    "Will you teach me to make your cornbread stuffing?" I asked. "We call it dressing," she said, obviously annoyed that her new Northern daughter-in-law did not have the regional terminology correct. Oops! Not scoring points with my new mother-in-law!

    It was always a challenge learning to cook from Kevin's family. They didn't own cookbooks. They never used recipes. Cooking was a tradition passed down from generation to generation simply by working together in the kitchen. As charming as that was, it was awfully frustrating for me when I wanted to recreate a dish. I ended up spending years learning some of their recipes through repeat visits cooking with family members who thought I was much too worried about measuring and timing things! This is one of those recipes.

    How to Cook Cornbread Stuffing

    In mid century, the cavity of the turkey was stuffed, infusing the flavors and juices of the bird into the breading mixture. While some people still stuff the turkey, concerns over contracting salmonella and e.coli bacterias have turned many away from this tradition. Turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be safe; that means the stuffing does, too. In order for the stuffing to reach 165 degrees, the external temperature of the turkey has to reach about 180 degrees -- which means dry turkey.

    I have had both salmonella and e.coli poisoning (not from stuffing.) One time I ended up in the hospital, and the other time I should have, but stubbornly refused to go because it would have meant spending Christmas there. As a result, I am ultra cautious and I opt for not stuffing the turkey. Instead, I bake the stuffing in a greased casserole dish, then pour over a few tablespoons of drippings that have run off the turkey after it has cooked. These are the same drippings I use to make turkey gravy, as well.

    Another option is to make stuffing patties. Kevin always asks for a tray of these in addition to a casserole of stuffing. I simply take the stuffing when it's ready to be cooked, form them into small patties and place them on a greased 9 x 13 baking sheet. I bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until their color turns golden.

    Getting Ready to Cook Cornbread Stuffing

    Kentucky cornbread stuffing ingredients

    To make Kentucky cornbread stuffing, you'll need:

    • cornbread prepared without sugar
    • butter
    • yellow onions
    • celery
    • seasoned stuffing cubes
    • rubbed sage
    • pepper
    • chicken broth

    Make the cornbread

    You need to begin this recipe by making a pan of super fast and easy homemade cornbread without sugar -- follow the steps in our Southern cornbread recipe here.

    Once the cornbread is baked and cooled, here's what comes next:

    Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

    • Butter melting in skillet
      1. Melt butter in skillet
    • celery and onion added to butter in skillet
      2. Add celery and onion
    • celery and onion simmering in skillet
      3. Simmer
    • cornbread broken up into crumbs in bowl
      4. Break up cornbread
    • stuffing cubes with pepper and sage added to cornbread crumbs
      5. Add bread cubes, sage, pepper
    • adding celery, onion and butter mixture to crumb mixture
      6. Stir in celery & onion mixture
    • pouring diluted chicken broth into Kentucky cornbread stuffing mix
      7. Add diluted chicken broth
    • ingredients all mixed together
      8. Mix until fully combined
    • cornbread stuffing transferred to a baking dish
      9. Transfer to baking dish
    • Cornbread stuffing in a white casserole dish with a spoonful being lifted out.
    Kentucky cornbread stuffing steps

    Tip For Success

    • Use salted butter for cooking
    • Use regular chicken broth rather than reduced-sodium for best flavor
    • Dice onions and celery into petite pieces. I use a chopper to make it fast and easy.

    Every bite of this delicious, moist seasoned cornbread stuffing compliments the turkey, without overpowering it with all kinds of strong flavors. It's easy to see why this has become a popular Southern favorite!

    Cornbread stuffing in a white casserole dish with a spoonful being lifted out.

    Kentucky Cornbread Stuffing - A Southern Thanksgiving Dish

    Nancy Blackstone
    Kentucky cornbread stuffing -- butter, sage, onion, celery, and from-scratch cornbread make up this tasty Southern side dish. Old fashioned, down home country taste!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 Servings
    Calories 427 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ pound butter
    • 2 medium yellow onions diced
    • 3 stalks celery diced
    • 1 pan cornbread (8x8) prepared without sugar
    • 6 ounces seasoned stuffing cubes
    • ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 14.5 ounces chicken broth
    • 14.5 ounces water fill your can of broth with water

    Instructions
     

    • In a large skillet, melt butter. When butter is melted, add diced onion and celery. Simmer in butter until softened, about 5 minutes. 
    • In a large bowl, break cornbread up into crumbs. Add stuffing cubes, sage and pepper.
    • Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the celery and onion mixture into the bowl of stuffing.
    • Mix the can of chicken broth with 1 can of water, then add to the stuffing mix. Using your hands or a wooden spoon/spatula, mix the ingredients until fully combined and moist.
    • Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden.
    • Pour a couple of tablespoons of turkey drippings over the stuffing before serving, if desired. 

    Notes

    You can make the stuffing a day ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. Allow an extra 10 minutes for baking if it's cold.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 427kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 951mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 813IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword cornbread dressing, cornbread stuffing, Kentucky Thanksgiving dressing, Thanksgiving dressing, Thanksgiving side dishes
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    Nancy and Bentley

    Hi, I'm Nancy! Welcome to Flourchild where I share classic mid-century recipes from the 1940's - 1970's. I feature many vintage handwritten recipes, and provide modern shortcuts and a variety of healthy and special diet-friendly versions whenever possible. Join me in exploring the delicious flavors and from-scratch cooking techniques of our past!

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