Easy Cornbread Chicken Dressing Recipe

A comfort food casserole recipe made with chicken (or leftover turkey) and Southern cornbread dressing with all the flavors of Thanksgiving that can be enjoyed year-round.

And THEN I started making this recipe and haven’t had to chastise myself for not keeping my word about making turkey and dressing more often.

I first saw a recipe like this on Southern with a Twist, a Southern food blog my buddy Lynn runs. What drew my attention was Lynn puts chopped boiled eggs in hers – which I LOVE – but never really see very often on recipe sites.

Easy Holiday Jiffy Cornbread Dressing

Southerners (or at least my family) have been putting boiled eggs in our recipes forever. I never once saw a pot of Chicken & Dumplings at Nanny’s house that wasn’t loaded with sliced boiled eggs. And all the women in my family put chopped boiled eggs in our cornbread dressing.

Southerners sneak boiled eggs into stews, rice dishes, casseroles – really anything that makes a big batch. I suspect this was to add protein to dishes during lean times.

Food sources in the South were ravaged after the Civil War. Sherman ordered all the crops and livestock to be destroyed so folks got pretty creative working with what they had. That’s why collard greens (and mustard, turnip, etc.) and peas are so popular here.

Delicious Southern Cornbread Dressing

The Yankees didn’t realize the peas and greens were food when they were scorching the earth so the two sustained much of the South in the years directly following the war. To this day, collard greens and black-eyed peas are eaten here on New Year’s Day for good luck.

I don’t include the boiled eggs in my recipe but you can certainly add them. You should add them! I messed around and somehow married a Canadian, so I tweak a lot of old school, deep South recipes for his sake.

How much cornbread do I need? Use a 6-serving mix or half a pan of most standard family-size cornbread recipes (which bake in a 13x9 pan). You can also use leftover cornbread muffins from your local meat-and-three restaurant or Cracker Barrel.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Can I use Jiffy mix? Yes, but I personally don’t love straight-up Jiffy cornbread in this because it’s a little too sweet but LOTS of people love it (I think most people make this with Jiffy mix). When I do use Jiffy mix, I add 1/2 cup sour cream to the batter which really knocks the sweetness down a bit.

Can I use leftover, canned or rotisserie chicken in this? Yes, yes and yes! You’ll need to buy chicken broth to use since you won’t be making your own when you cook the chicken but I’ve done all three and they’re all great!

Is this a meal or a side dish? I serve this as a meal but a lot of folks serve this at Thanksgiving as a side dish. It makes a GREAT potluck dish since it can be served as either.

Easy Cornbread Dressing (small Batch)

Can I use Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm stuffing in this instead of cornbread? Probably. You will likely need to add more broth since both of these are somewhat dehydrated. If using Stove Top, reduce the salt since it’s already pretty heavily seasoned.

Don’t you want gravy with it? Well, I ain’t never turned down gravy and I’m not about to start now but, no, I don’t make gravy to serve with this. This is super moist so it doesn’t really need anything but, gravy is never wrong. Ever. You could use a packet of gravy mix or a jar if you want something quick and easy.

Would cranberry sauce be good served with this?Well, since I don’t like cranberry sauce, my answer would be heck no but I imagine folks who traditionally enjoy cranberry sauce with turkey and dressing would love it with this.Hosting a small Thanksgiving dinner? This deliciously moist Cornbread Dressing with Chicken recipe is super easy to make and sure to please your family and friends! 

Easy Southern Chicken And Dressing Casserole

This southern-style cornbread dressing is easy enough you could make it any time of year and serve it with roast chicken. For the holidays, this goes great with fresh cranberry sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, and some unbelievably good sautéed brussels sprouts with pancetta.

The key to good chicken and dressing is making the cornbread a day or two ahead so that it can dry out some. Then, start by sautéing some onions and celery. Next, crumble your cornbread into a large bowl.

Add the celery, onions, and seasonings to the bowl. One of the most important parts of making a delicious and moist dressing is that you use enough chicken stock. You’ll want to add the stock a little at a time until you get the right amount. The mixture should look pretty soupy like this.

Grandmother's Chicken Cornbread Dressing

I use my own recipe for Skillet Cornbread to make this, but you could use a mix if you want. Just do NOT add any sugar to your cornbread. It’s best to make the cornbread the day before so that it has time to dry out a bit. I have how to make cornbread dressing video on my post from last year if you’d like to check that out. The Same basic method here, just with chicken added.

This Cornbread Dressing with Chicken serves 4-5 people, so it’s perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner for two. Or, if you are having a big group of people, but need a gluten-free dressing option for a couple people attending, this works for that, too. Just make sure that your cornmeal is certified gluten-free, or that the mix and the rest of your ingredients are as well.

I used this simple shredded chicken recipe to prepare mine. I didn’t make the whole amount used in that one because I didn’t need that much. I cooked 1 pound of chicken breasts, used part of it for the dressing and served extra chicken on the side when I was testing this recipe out. It comes out really moist and tender. Just make sure you don’t overcook the chicken or it’ll be really dry.

Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Salt amounts needed will vary based on how salty the cornbread used is and personal preference. And whether you use low-sodium chicken stock or not.

I ended up using 2 1/4 cups plus a couple of splashes of stock for my dressing. Add a little at a time until you reach the right level of soupiness.This handed-down, old fashioned recipe for homemade Chicken and Cornbread Dressing is wonderfully moist, savory and loaded with celery, onion and chicken. It’s an absolute must as a holiday side dish, especially Thanksgiving, but don’t be surprised when it’s served for Sunday dinner, special occasions or any time a little touch of home is needed!

) between cornbread dressing and stuffing is where it’s cooked. Stuffing is stuffed inside (hence the name…) the turkey, chicken or quail and cooked as the bird cooks, soaking up all those good juices and flavors while it, in turn, also lends lots of flavor to the bird. Additionally, stuffing is usually chunkier, more bread based and drier than a pan of cornbread dressing.

Easy Jiffy Cornbread Dressing (+ How To Video)

Dressing, on the other hand, is prepared mainly from cornbread, as a side dish in its own pan and served on the plate beside (or

Prep. Mix together cornbread batter according to your cornbread recipe or mix instructions. Add diced celery and onions to the batter and bake the cornbread as directed. Remove cornbread from oven and allow to completely cool. Shred rotisserie chicken or chicken you have boiled. Set aside.

Assemble. Finely crumble up cornbread and stale bread. Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and shredded chicken. Toss to mix it all together. Mix in the eggs next. I find my hands are the best tools for this, so roll up your sleeves and get in there. Mix in butter and 1.5 cups broth the same way. Spoon cornbread dressing into a greased 9×13 pan or 5 quart casserole dish. Pour remaining chicken broth over the top.

You'll Love This Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Bake. Bake covered with foil or a lid for 25 minutes and uncovered for 20 minutes. You know your Chicken and Dressing is done when the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.

This dish is ideal to make ahead of time, which really helps out during the holidays when so many things are being prepped and cooked! You can make your chicken and dressing well in advance and freeze, bake it completely the night before your big meal and simply reheat it or you can assemble the dish without baking it and bake it fresh before your meal. No matter what, this recipe delivers delicious dressing every time!

If you choose to bake it the night before, allow the dressing to cool after baking, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Mix in ½- 1 cup of extra chicken broth before reheating for 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

South Your Mouth: Southern Cornbread Dressing With Sausage

If you just assemble the dish the night before, simply cover uncooked dressing and store in the fridge until about 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it. Remove dish from refrigerator to let it lose its chill. Cook in a