Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Cornbread Bacon Stuffing Recipe

I am very picky when it comes to stuffing/dressing. The stuff from the box? I just can’t do it – I think it is mostly a texture thing for me. Anyway, I have not been very interested in stuffing in the past, but this cornbread stuffing with bacon is a game changer for me! Everyone that has tried this recipe has loved it! Maybe it’s the bacon. 😉

Homemade vs Store-Bought Cornbread

Feel free to purchase cornbread for the stuffing, but I have to warn you…homemade is better! That’s why I have included an easy cornbread recipe for you (find it below).

Also, the cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance. So really, just go for the homemade one if at all possible! It will make your bacon cornbread stuffing taste so much better.

Cornbread Tips:

You can do all cornbread if you want to skip the white bread. Just double the cornbread recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan for the same amount of time. Voila.

P.S. Avoid using a sweet, cake-like cornbread for this stuffing recipe – it will taste a little off with the other savory flavors. The cornbread recipe you’ll find below works wonderfully.

Easy Bacon Infused Vegetables:

That’s right, just throw the onion, celery, and garlic right in there with the bacon and its grease. A little bacon magic happening there.

Why This Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Is the Best

A few of the reasons why I like this stuffing recipe so much are the flavor and the texture. The flavor is on point with the sage, fresh parsley, and bacon, and by cooking the veggies in the bacon grease, the bacon flavor is infused throughout the entire dish. It’s delicious but not too overpowering.

Quick tip: I use dried/rubbed sage for convenience, but keep the parsley fresh.

Another thing I like about this recipe is that I don’t feel like there’s much of a soggy bread texture to this stuffing, which I really like. It isn’t too dry either though. It’s pretty much perfect! 🙂

Plus, it is fun to impress people by saying you made the delicious stuffing from scratch. 😉

Final Tips

You can try slow cooking this bacon cornbread stuffing recipe, but you may lose some of that great texture that you get from baking it in the oven. If you want to give it a try anyway, follow the recipe directions, but cook the stuffing on low in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours.

One more note: You can reserve 4 1/2 cups of the stuffing for the stuffing of the turkey, then spoon the remaining stuffing into a 9×9 baking dish and bake that in the oven. I prefer to bake all of the stuffing in a 9×13 and serve it on the side, which I guess makes it actually “dressing” and not “stuffing.” 😉

Either way, I hope you try it out because it is worth it! So good!

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Find all our side dish recipes here!

Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

This bacon cornbread stuffing recipe is the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving dinner.

4.78 / 5 ( 27 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 12

Adjust Servings: 12

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• 8x8 inch pan
• Large skillet

Ingredients

Cornbread Recipe

• 1 ⅓ cups milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cornbread Dressing/Stuffing

• 8x8 pan cornbread from above, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 slices white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 slices bacon chopped
• 2 stalks celery finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 ¾ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
• For the cornbread: Grease an 8x8 baking dish or pan for the cornbread. Whisk milk, oil, and eggs in a medium bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. (Cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
• For the dressing/stuffing: Spread cubed cornbread and bread onto two baking sheets and bake until dry and golden, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in sage and transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Add cornbread, bread, lightly beaten eggs, broth, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bowl and toss until combined. Let sit 5 minutes, then toss again.
• If serving as a side dish/dressing and not stuffing the turkey, spoon mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and bake until top is toasted golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
• For stuffing: Reserve 4 1/2 cups for turkey, then spoon remaining stuffing into a 9x9 baking dish. Bake until top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

The baked cornbread can be left in its pan at room temperature overnight or up to 2 days before making the stuffing, instead of oven drying (in step 3). You can skip the white bread and do all cornbread if you want, just double the cornbread recipe and bake it in a 9x13 for the same amount of time.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 665mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g