Cornbread Dressing – Easy Cracker Barrel Copycat

This Cracker Barrel cornbread dressing is a classic Southern side — made with homemade buttermilk cornbread, sautéed veggies, and herb stuffing. It’s cozy, makes a ton, and you can prep most of it ahead (which helps during chaos cooking, honestly).

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 20 mins
• Cook time: 50 mins
• Flavor: buttery, savory, herby
• Great for: holidays, big family dinners, meal prep leftovers

Why I Like This Recipe

I was supposed to just help with dinner… but somehow ended up making the cornbread dressing from scratch. No box mix, no shortcuts. Took a while, yeah, but it was totally worth it. Soft center, golden edges, the whole thing soaked in butter and broth. And it actually reheats well. Shocker.

Ingredients

For the buttermilk cornbread:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup whole buttermilk

For the dressing:

• 1 (14 oz) bag herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, divided
• 2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 1½ cups chopped celery
• 5 cups chicken or turkey stock (hot)
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp dried sage
• Kosher salt and black pepper

How To Make Cornbread Dressing

1. Preheat the skillet and oven: Grease a 10″ cast iron skillet. Throw it in the oven at 220°C (428°F) while you prep the batter.
2. Make the cornbread batter: Mix dry stuff in one bowl. Wet stuff in another. Combine just until mixed — don’t over-stir.
3. Bake the cornbread: Pour it into the hot skillet. Bake 16–19 mins until golden. Let cool, then crumble into pieces (about 5 cups).
4. Lower the oven heat and prep the dish: Turn oven down to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
5. Cook the veggies: Melt 1 stick butter. Sauté onion + celery on medium for 10–12 mins ‘til soft.
6. Mix the dressing: In a big bowl: crumbled cornbread, stuffing mix, cooked veggies, melted 2nd stick of butter.
7. Add wet mixture: Whisk hot stock, eggs, sage. Pour it in, mix well. Season to taste. Let it sit 5–10 mins.
8. Bake the dressing: Pour it in the dish. Bake uncovered 45–50 mins, ‘til top’s golden and center’s set.

Tips for Success

• Preheating the skillet = crispy cornbread edges.
• Crumble cornbread small — big chunks mess with texture.
• Fully soften the veggies — no crunchy onions here.
• Use hot stock when whisking with eggs, not cold.
• Let the mixture sit before baking. Helps it all soak in.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Let cool, then store in a sealed container up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Wrap tightly in foil or use a freezer-safe dish. Freeze up to 2 months.
• Reheat: Add a splash of broth or butter. Reheat in a pan or oven over medium-low. Stir gently ‘til hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to make the cornbread from scratch?
  You don’t, but it makes a difference. Box mix works in a pinch, though.
• Can I prep this ahead?
  Yep. Make the whole thing the day before, store in the fridge, bake when ready.
• Is this stuffing or dressing?
  Depends who you ask. If it’s baked outside the bird, it’s dressing. Still stuffing to me, though.
• Can I leave out the eggs?
  You can, but it might not hold together as well. Add a bit less broth if you skip ‘em.
• Can I make this vegetarian?
  Sure — just use veggie broth and skip the herb stuffing if it has meat flavor.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Using cold stock: Cold liquid + eggs = weird lumps. Warm it first so everything blends.
• Too much mixing: Overmixing the batter or the final mixture can make it dense. Fold gently and stop once combined.
• Big cornbread chunks: Break it down small. Big pieces don’t soak up the liquid right and stay dry.
• Skipping the rest before baking: The sit time helps everything absorb evenly. Don’t rush it — 10 minutes is enough.
• Overbaking it: It’s supposed to be soft inside, not dry. Pull it out when the top is golden and the center’s just set.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 380 kcal
• Total Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Cholesterol: 130mg
• Sodium: 780mg
• Potassium: 210mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 27g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 3g
• Protein: 8g

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• Southern Corn Pudding  – Easy Cracker Barrel Copycat
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