It wouldn’t be a holiday feast without a warm, fragrant dish of Southern Cornbread Stuffing! Loaded with cranberries, apples and pecans, this easy side dish is the perfect companion for your golden roasted turkey!
Every home cook probably has her favorite stuffing recipe that she swears is the best! From sausage dressing to oyster stuffing or the classic Southern cornbread stuffing, there’s a special version for every unique holiday celebration.
Personally, my preference will always be a dish that combines sweet and savory. I can’t get enough salted caramel, chocolate-covered pretzels, kettle corn, and the like. Something about that salty-and-sweet blend just hits all of the tastebuds and makes my mouth happy!
Given my penchant for these types of foods, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that my favorite Thanksgiving side would be a cornbread stuffing! And you better believe that I’ve loaded this version with all of the best flavors and textures…
Sweet and juicy apples, tart and chewy cranberries, and crunchy toasted pecans are mixed with buttery cornbread and fresh herbs for the most flavorful and satisfying cornbread stuffing!
If you’re preparing my Easy Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast or my Garlic & Herb Roast Turkey Breast, I can assure you that this cornbread stuffing will pair perfectly with your entree.
Do you need even more ideas for your holiday feast? I have so many favorites that I almost don’t know where to start! You can’t go wrong with my 4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Corn Pudding, my Easy Apple & Sweet Potato Casserole, or my Dreamy 6-Cup Ambrosia Salad. Want something green? You’ve GOT to try Fannie’s Easy, Cheesy Broccoli Casserole!
Whether you serve my favorite Southern Cornbread Stuffing on Thanksgiving, with a roast chicken for your next Sunday supper, or with your holiday ham on Christmas, I hope that you enjoy the warm, fresh, sweet, and savory blend that I adore!
Southern Cornbread Stuffing
Southern Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 6 cups cornbread cut into 1-inch cubes*
- ¾ cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1 cup diced apple
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cornbread, pecans, apple, and cranberries. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, cooking until tender (about 5-7 minutes). Add herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme), and cook until fragrant (about 1 more minute).
- Transfer onion and herb mixture to the large bowl with the cornbread. Add eggs, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Stir in the chicken broth until the stuffing is moistened (you may need more than 2 cups).
- Transfer the stuffing into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake (uncovered) until golden, about 45 minutes.
Recipe Notes
*You can purchase cornbread at the bakery, use a mix, or prepare your own favorite homemade version. I used a 15-ounc box of Krusteaz Honey Cornbread Mix, baked in an 8-inch square dish. Approximately ¾ of the baked cornbread is equivalent to 6 cups diced. If you are making your own cornbread, you will need to allow for additional prep time.
Want to Prep Ahead? You can prepare this dish up to a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until baking.
Cooking for a Smaller Family? Cut the ingredients in half and bake the stuffing in a 1-quart casserole dish.
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Oh I’m a sucker for cornbread stuffing…this looks wonderful, Blair! I’ve never had a stuffing with apples and cranberries before, sounds unique and delicious. Such a wonderful combo! I bet this would be the best stuffing for the holidays!
You’d love the addition of the fruit, Gayle! It’s perfect for the holidays. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
This looks delicious with the apples and cranberries. My mom always made cornbread stuffing, and it was my favorite dish at Thanksgiving.
Awesome, Joanne! I think it’s a great option and the sweet burst from the fruit is so tasty!
Oh my gosh thank you for this! I’m having a pre-Thanksgiving family get together with my fiance and his mother and my parents and they’re from Louisiana and I wanted to do a southern cornbread stuffing as a homage to them but couldn’t find a good recipe that was simple but flavorful. Thanks so much Blair!!! 🙂
That’s so great, Ashley! I hope that you enjoy the recipe and that your guests feel a little taste of home! 🙂
Can you make the cornbread and cube it right before you mix everything together or do you need to make the cornbread a day ahead so it can dry out some when cubed?
Hi, Frances! I would say that it’s best to give it a day or two to dry out a bit. That said, if you make it the same day, you should be fine too. I would bake it, cube it, and then allow the cubes to sit out and cool completely on the counter for a couple of hours. Then they will be a bit more dry than if you just used warm cornbread straight from the oven.
Hope that helps, and enjoy!
I made the Southern Stuffing. It was sooooo good.
Wonderful!!! We had it yesterday too, and I love it every time! 🙂