Ultimate Southern Cornbread Stuffing

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The Ultimate Southern Cornbread Stuffing (Our Signature Thanksgiving Dressing!)

Our Southern Cornbread–Cracker Stuffing is the ultimate make-ahead Thanksgiving dressing. This QUICK and EASY recipe is made with cornbread, oven-dried white bread, saltine crackers, sautéed celery and onion, SPG seasoning, and a secret chicken bouillon boost—this recipe is moist, flavorful, and perfect for holiday prep.

A Classic Southern Stuffing Recipe Your Family Will Request Every Year

If you’re searching for the best Southern Thanksgiving stuffing, you’ve found it. This comforting, savory dressing is a signature at Birdy & Pretzels—built from three breads for the perfect mix of textures, then combined with buttery aromatics and our secret umami-boosting ingredient.  Plus it comes together as quick as your vegetables sauté!

Whether you’re hosting a huge holiday gathering or keeping things intimate, this stuffing delivers nostalgic flavor, a tender interior, and a beautifully golden top. Even better? It can be almost entirely prepared ahead of time, making it a stress-free side dish for Thanksgiving Day.

Why You’ll Love This Cornbread–Cracker Stuffing

This recipe stands out for its simplicity and depth of flavor. Here’s what makes it special:

  • Three-bread base: Cornbread for moisture, white bread for structure, saltines for a delicate salty crunch

  • Buttery celery + onion: Classic aromatics that create cozy Thanksgiving flavor

  • SPG seasoning: A perfectly balanced mix of salt, pepper, and garlic

  • Chicken bouillon powder: The “secret ingredient” for rich, savory depth

  • Make-ahead friendly: Prep almost everything days before Thanksgiving

Prep your stuffing beforehand

Want to eliminate day-of cooking chaos? This stuffing was made for prepping ahead. 

prepare your dry ingredients up to a week ahead

Cornbread – Bake your cornbread, let it cool completely, crumble it, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or be extra nice to yourself and buy it already made from your local grocery store bakery.

Oven-Dried White Bread – Toast or bake white bread slices until crisp and dry. Cool fully, cube or tear, and store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Saltine Crackers – Crush the crackers and store them in a sealed container or bag to keep them fresh.

Mix Your Stuffing the Day Before Thanksgiving

On the day before, combine:

  • All the prepped breads

  • Sautéed onion and celery

  • SPG blend

  • Chicken bouillon

  • Chicken broth

    • !!Make sure you taste test the stuffing and season to taste before adding the eggs!!

  • Eggs  

Mix until evenly moistened and fully combined, cover and refrigerate! Before baking reserve a couple of spoonfuls to add to your gravy before heating for the perfect compliment to your turkey and stuffing.

The Ingredients:

by WEIGHT

  • 1 Recipe Cornbread, crumbled
  • 7 Slices Oven Dried White Bread, cubed
  • 1 Sleeve Saltines, crushed
  • 4 oz Butter
  • 2 cups Celery, chopped
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, Diced
  • 56 oz Chicken Broth
  • 12 grams B&P SPG Seasoning
  • 14 grams Chicken Bouillon Powder
  • 5 Eggs, Beaten

Instructions

  • 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the celery & onion and cook until transparent.
  • 2. Combine crumbled cornbread, white bread & saltines in a large bowl.
  • 3. Pour the vegetables and butter over the cornbread mixture. Add the chicken broth & seasonings and mix well.
  • 4. Taste and season to taste. Just a little over where you think it should be, since we still have to add eggs.
  • 5. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
  • 6. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish and bake until stuffing is cooked through or it reaches an internal temperature of 200° f (about 45 minutes).

B&P Tips for the Best stuffing

  • For extra flavor: fold in crispy breakfast sausage
  • Always taste test: check your seasoning level before you add the raw eggs. If making in advance, bake a small portion to test the finished product, so there will be no surprises on the big day!
  • Let it rest: a 10 minute rest makes serving easier and improves texture
  • Double the recipe: serve one now and freeze the second for Christmas
  • Serve with: B&P Cranberry Jalapeno Relish and traditional Thanksgiving turkey or with roasted chicken or grilled pork chops
  • Make it your own: swap out rosemary or sourdough bread for white bread or jalapeno cheddar cornbread, instead of regular cornbread. Use vegetable broth and vegetable bouillon for a vegetarian version.

Final Thoughts

This Southern Cornbread–Cracker Stuffing is warm, nostalgic, and deeply flavorful—the kind of Thanksgiving side that becomes a family tradition. Whether you’re hosting the whole family or contributing to a potluck table, this dressing is guaranteed to be one of the most-requested dishes every single year.

Want more flavor-packed ideas from Birdy & Pretzels? Subscribe to our monthly crate subscription and gain full access to the B&P VIP experience or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok [@birdypretzels] for weekly recipes, snack inspiration, and behind-the-scenes goodness from our kitchen.

Strong Women
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May we be them
May we raise them
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Made with Love,

Birdy&Pretzels

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