Grandmama’s Crockpot Dressing Recipe with Cornbread
Picture Thanksgiving morning with the oven already packed with turkey and casseroles, and Grandmama’s crockpot dressing recipe quietly doing its thing in the slow cooker on the counter. This is Southern cornbread dressing layered with turkey or chicken and cream of chicken soup, seasoned with sage and cooked low until it’s moist and tender. It takes about 45 minutes to put together and 3 hours in a 6-quart slow cooker.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Crock Pot Dressing With Cornbread
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken, broth, pans cornbread, onion, hard boiled eggs, butter, melted, cream of chicken soup, dried sage
- Why You'll Love It: Grandmama's crock pot dressing with cornbread is moist and delicious; featuring all the flavors of an old-time Thanksgiving made easier and foolproof.
This one comes straight from my grandmother Lucille’s recipe files. Dressing used to be something we only made at Thanksgiving, but once she started making it in her crock pot, it showed up all year long. I’ve often said there’s no sight prettier than an old lady with a casserole dish, but the sight of my grandmother toting her crock pot had it beat by far.
Why This Crockpot Dressing Works
Cooking the dressing low and slow keeps it moist all the way through, and layering a little cream of chicken soup on the bottom and top means the edges never dry out the way oven dressing can. Best of all, it frees up your oven for the turkey and everything else on the menu.
The hamburger or hot dog buns might seem like an odd addition, but a little “light bread” gives the dressing body and helps it hold together. Everybody I know adds some to their dressing.
What You Need for Crock Pot Cornbread Dressing
- Cornbread: Two 9-inch pans, baked ahead. My Dixie cornbread or hot water cornbread both work.
- Buns: Two hamburger or hot dog buns. Set them out in the morning so they get a little stale and crumble easier. Any leftover sandwich bread works too.
- Cream of chicken soup: Two cans. You can make your own cream of chicken soup if you’d rather.
- Broth: Turkey broth from your bird or canned chicken broth.
- Turkey or chicken: Shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken. You can leave the meat out if you like.
- Onion, boiled eggs, butter and sage: The classic Southern dressing flavors.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Bake the cornbread a day ahead so it has time to cool and dry out a little.
- Use a really big bowl for mixing. About a 4-quart bowl gives you room to stir.
- Taste the mixture before it goes in the slow cooker and adjust the sage to your liking.
- If your mama always added chopped celery, add it. If she never used onion, leave it out. Make it your own.
How to Make Crockpot Dressing with Cornbread
1Crumble the cornbread and buns
In a really large bowl, crumble the cornbread and the buns.
2Add the eggs, onion and butter
Chop the boiled eggs and onion and add them to the bowl, then pour in the melted butter.
3Season and stir
Add one can of cream of chicken soup, the sage and the broth, and stir it all together really well.
4Start with soup in the slow cooker
Spread half of the second can of cream of chicken soup in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
5Layer the dressing and meat
Top with 1/3 of the dressing mixture and half of the turkey or chicken. Repeat the layers, ending with the last of the dressing.
6Finish with soup on top
Spread the rest of the cream of chicken soup over everything.
7Cook low and slow
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, then serve it hot.
What to Serve with Crockpot Dressing
Spoon plenty of old-fashioned turkey giblet gravy on top and serve it alongside crock pot turkey breast or butter roasted chicken, with homemade cranberry sauce on the side. For the rest of the table, I love green bean casserole, homemade mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes and a pan of Southern broccoli casserole.
Planning the whole holiday spread? My Thanksgiving menu ideas, Thanksgiving side dishes and make-ahead Thanksgiving dishes will help you map it all out.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
- Make it in the oven: Layer everything the same way in a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. For a classic oven version, try my Southern dressing with cornbread.
- Add vegetables: Stir in chopped celery or about a cup of sliced mushrooms. Swap one can of cream of chicken for cream of celery or cream of mushroom to match.
- More flavor: Add a teaspoon of poultry seasoning or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.
- Add-ins: Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
Crockpot Dressing FAQs
Can I make crockpot dressing ahead of time?
Mix the dressing and layer it in the slow cooker insert, then cover it and keep it in the fridge overnight. Cooked leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Why do you put buns in cornbread dressing?
A little white bread gives the dressing body and helps hold it together. Slightly stale buns crumble the easiest.
Can I make this dressing without meat?
Leave out the turkey or chicken and layer the dressing with the cream of chicken soup on its own. It makes a wonderful side dish for any holiday table.
If you love seafood, try our Southern oyster dressing, which folds fresh shucked oysters into a baked cornbread dressing.
Grandmama’s Crockpot Dressing Recipe with Cornbread
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken optional
- 3-4 cups broth from your turkey or canned
- 2 pans cornbread 9-inch
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 1/2 cup butter, melted or one stick
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons dried sage
- 2 buns hot dog or hamburger
Instructions
- Set aside one can cream of chicken soup and the turkey (or chicken).3-4 cups shredded turkey or rotisserie chicken, 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- In a large bowl, crumble the cornbread and buns. Add all other ingredients. Stir until well mixed.3-4 cups broth, 2 pans cornbread, 1 medium onion, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 cup butter, melted, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 tablespoons dried sage, 2 buns hot dog or hamburger
- In the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, spread half of the remaining can of cream of chicken soup. Top with 1/3 of the dressing mixture and 1/2 of the meat. Add another 1/3 of the dressing and remaining meat, then the remaining stuffing mix. Spread the rest of the cream of chicken soup over the top.2 cans cream of chicken soup
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve hot.
Notes
- Rather not use canned cream of chicken soup? Make your own with my homemade cream of chicken soup.
- Oven method: Layer everything in a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Make ahead: Layer it in the slow cooker insert, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don’t usually make cornbread stuffing. Im going to make this one because it looks so delicious. Thank you for this recipe. Thanks to your Grandmother as well. Im sure it will turn out great.
This dressing looks absolutely amazing! I love the addition of turkey. I’m going to make your recipe for Thanksgiving this year! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Yay! Let me know what you think 🙂
I have been making this CP Ch and dsg and it thrills my family! So moist and delicious . I do tweak it a bit…dash of creole seasoning instead of sage. We all dislike sage quite a bit!!
Merry Christmas and may our Lord pour out his richest blessings to you.