Ultimate Cornbread Stuffing is a savory, simple Thanksgiving dressing recipe featuring both French bread and cornbread, customized with garlic and your favorite herbs and add-ins!
1 to 1 ½tablespoonsfresh minced garlicabout 3 to 5 medium-sized cloves, depending on how strong you want the garlic flavor to be
4cupschicken broth OR stock
½cupfresh parsleyfinely chopped
1tablespoonfresh rosemaryminced
1teaspoonfresh thyme leavesminced
Salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
The day before you make the stuffing, slice the French bread into 1-inch thick slices and then cut into 1-inch cubes. Spread out in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with cornbread, cutting into 1-inch cubes and spreading out on a baking sheet. Set pans on the counter and allow bread cubes to dry for 24 hours. (If you wish to speed up the process, place baking sheets in a 250°F oven for 30 minutes or until bread is dried out.)
Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 2 ½-quart baking dish (or an oven-safe dish of a comparable size). Heat a large pot over low heat, add butter, and allow to melt. Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garlic should be fragrant and beginning to turn a light golden brown but not dark. Add chicken broth to the garlic, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Stir in fresh herbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.
Combine dried French bread and cornbread cubes in a very large bowl (or in a stock pot, if you don't have a big enough bowl). Ladle a few scoops of broth over bread cubes, gently toss to combine, and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and/or herbs, if desired. Continue to add broth to bread cubes, carefully tossing to moisten bread without breaking it all up.
Transfer stuffing to greased baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Notes
If you would like to add onion, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc. to your stuffing, increase the butter (to about 1 stick), reduce the garlic (to about 1 clove) and cook vegetables in butter until tender (onions/celery should be translucent, and any liquid given off by mushrooms should have evaporated) before adding broth and proceeding with the recipe.
1 ½ tablespoons fresh minced garlic will give your stuffing a pretty garlicky flavor. Use less if you prefer a milder garlic flavor.
Fresh herbs are optimal for this recipe, but if you use dried herbs, reduce the amounts to ⅓ of what was originally called for in fresh herbs (dried herbs are more potent so you need to use less). Feel free to increase/decrease/change the herbs to your tastes.
The amount of salt you use will depend on if your butter was salted, how much sodium your chicken broth/stock contains, and how salty you like your food. Add salt carefully and taste often to get the amount to your liking. I ended up using ¾ teaspoon total in our stuffing.
You may stuff your turkey with this dressing, if desired...the stuffing is safe to eat once its internal temperature reaches 165°F with a food thermometer. Bake any leftover stuffing in a baking dish.