We made a batch of Jiffy cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and it was such a hit that we had to share our recipe with you. It is the best turkey side dish semi-homemade with corn muffin mix!
Jump To
- Easy Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
- Cornbread Dressing Ingredients
- What are the best vegetables to add to dressing?
- Do you have to cook vegetables before making dressing?
- Is stuffing the same as dressing?
- How Long to Bake Cornbread Dressing
- Can you make dressing ahead of time?
- How do you know when cornbread dressing is done?
- Cornbread Dressing with Jiffy Mix Recipe
- What to make with leftovers
- How long does leftover dressing last?
If you love dressing during the holidays but always make our Pepperidge Farm sausage stuffing and want a second to serve your guests, this is it! It offers a whole new flavor profile, but still tender and perfect with a slice of turkey.
Easy Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
To make this old fashioned Christmas side dish easier we are going to use a few boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix. This has a bit of leavening agents in it to make it fluffy, a little sugar and salt with the cornmeal which means you need fewer ingredients overall.
Cornbread Dressing Ingredients
In this case we are going to use Jiffy corn muffin mix as with the others listed like our Cornbread Dressing with Jiffy Mix during the holidays and others….. You may have used these to make our cream corn casserole and know how versatile they are. We are going to use a few slices of stale bread too for the main dry ingredients used as the base.
In order to bring these to life and make it tender you add eggs, chicken broth or chicken stock will give it moisture, add some salted butter to make it creamy and you either need some whole or 2% milk.
Lots of diced fresh herbs or jarred seasonings are added such as salt, pepper, thyme, sage and parsley too that we love. You will need a 9×13″ casserole dish to bake this and a large skillet to saute in the first step.
What are the best vegetables to add to dressing?
I love diced celery and slices of mushrooms and sometimes diced onions and/or bits of bell pepper. Button mushrooms work or if I find baby bellas those have even more flavor so those are what I prefer. I stay away from firmer choices like carrots and sweet potato since I don’t think they get tender enough.
Optional Add-Ins
If you wanted to make it heartier with a pop of protein you could chop up bits of Boiled Turkey Necks from your bird (instead of throwing them away) and fold about 1/2 a cup in there too!! To make spicy you could add a pinch of red pepper flakes and some like a sprinkle of poultry seasoning.
Do you have to cook vegetables before making dressing?
Yes this is highly recommended. It is not as though you couldn’t make it without sauteeing first however you want a tender result overall and without cooking in some butter first your onions, celery and mushrooms will remain firmer than desired. it just takes about 5 minutes on the stove and is worth it.
Is stuffing the same as dressing?
Here we are showing you How to Bake Stuffing Outside the Turkey. Traditionally the term stuffing means to just do that, stuff it inside of the bird before you cook it. Dressing however is baked in a pan like you see here. Many times these terms get used interchangeably but there is technically a difference.
Personally I do not ever cook this inside of the cavity because I think it turns out too mushy. You could make this the same way and stuff if you would rather, or use half inside and bake the other half in a smaller pan.
How Long to Bake Cornbread Dressing
All you are doing when you bake this is getting it tender so it doesn’t take long, about 20 minutes typically works well until you get the ideal texture inside and the top is golden brown.
Can you make dressing ahead of time?
Yes and no, I don’t like it to sit more than a few hours but yes typically on Thanksgiving Day I will prep this, pour into the baking dish, when cooled, cover with foil and wait until I pull out the smoked turkey to rest before I put it into the oven. While the meat is resting (before slicing) is the perfect time to cook it.
How do you know when cornbread dressing is done?
This should remain moist and tender, you do not want to cook this too long. You can tell if it is done when the top is golden brown but still soft in the center. If you insert a toothpick in the middle it should come out with crumbs attached (not dry – that is overdone) to be the perfect texture.
Cornbread Dressing with Jiffy Mix Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 Bowl
- 1 8×8 pan
- 1 9×13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 boxes jiffy corn muffin mix, 8.5 oz each
- 4 large eggs
- 2/3 cup milk, whole or 2%
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 cup butter, salted
- 2 small onions
- 3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 6 slices bread, wheat, stale, cubed
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray pan with non stick spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the corn muffin mixes, eggs, milk, sage and thyme together. Pour into 8×8 pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until done. Allow to cool while you saute vegetables.
- In a large pan or pot over medium heat add butter, onions, celery, garlic, mushrooms and rest of seasonings into a pan to saute until tender. Turn to low heat.
- Add broth and bread cubes and fold together. Turn heat off. Break apart cornbread in 8×8 pan and gently fold into the vegetable mixture just enough to combine and pour everything into 9×13" pan. Spread out and reduce heat to 375F. and bake for 20 minutes until lightly brown on top. Serve immediately.
What to make with leftovers
We usually have very little left so I will just make a plate with everything else and keep in the fridge to re-warm the next day. If I make this just for our family during the year I will make Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf with it the next day, that is our favorite.
If I have Turkey Neck Gravy and this left I will pour this on top to add protein and make it an entire meal for lunch on day 2. Probably my most favorite after the holidays lunch.
How long does leftover dressing last?
As with other Leftover Turkey Recipe items you really should enjoy them within 3 days. Keep in mind the longer it sits in the fridge the mushier this will become. The only way to kinda’ fix this is to reheat in air fryer with a piece of parchment paper underneath at 380 for about 4 minutes or so.
