This warm, crispy, and fluffy Bacon and Cornbread Stuffing has the perfect combo of buttery sweet cornbread, crispy bacon, and savory herbs. The edges get golden and crisp, while the inside stays soft.
This truly is the perfect stuffing recipe that you’ll turn to over and over again! It’s perfect for your holiday table and I have several make-ahead options to make your life even easier.
Table of Contents
This Is My New Favorite Stuffing to Make on Thanksgiving
I’ll be honest, I never grew up with a love of stuffing. Probably because we were using the boxed stuff (sorry, mom!). Now that I’ve gotten to a place where I’m making stuffing from scratch, I finally see what all the fuss is about!
There are lots of shortcuts you can take for Thanksgiving: store bought rolls, dessert, cranberry sauce — but, please, make your stuffing from scratch! It truly makes all the difference in the world.
This bacon and cornbread stuffing is the perfect combination of buttery cornbread, smoky bacon, fresh herbs, veggies, and a hint of sweetness from some dried cranberries. Truly, all the flavors play so well together!
If you need a tried and true recipe for some of the best stuffing I’ve ever had, this recipe is for you! It’ll add that extra-special touch to your Thanksgiving table.
The Main Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
- Cornbread. You could use homemade cornbread for this recipe (you’d need about two 8×8-inch pans’ worth). I used two boxes of jiffy cornbread mix to keep things super simple.
- Bacon. I love the smokiness that bacon adds, but you could omit it if necessary.
- Onions and celery. Onions and celery add a classic flavor to the cornbread stuffing, but you could also swap in vegetables like leeks and fennel. (Side note: if you love fennel, you need to make my fennel and sausage stuffing next year!)
- Butter. Butter makes all the difference here! I use unsalted butter so that I can control the salt myself.
- Chicken or turkey stock. Homemade is best, but store bought works too.
- Herbs. I use a mix of sage, parsley, and thyme, but you could also use your favorites like rosemary or marjoram.
- Eggs. Eggs help bind the stuffing together.
- Dried cranberries. I love the little pop of sweetness that the cranberries add, but you can leave them out if you’re not a fan.
Tools Needed
How to Make Herby Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon
- Dry out the cornbread so it doesn’t turn to mush. Cornbread needs to be really dry for stuffing; it’s the only way it’ll absorb the liquid without becoming mush. If you have time, you can spread your torn bread out on a baking sheet and let it dry out for a day or two on your counter. In addition to doing this, I also toast the cornbread in the oven before we toss everything together so it’s nice and dry.
- Render the bacon. To get the bacon to render lots of fat and really crisp up, start it in a cold skillet. As the skillet heats up, the fat will release without making the bacon stick or burn.
- Sauté the veggies and herbs. Use the same skillet you cooked the bacon in (that’s free flavor!). Add some butter, then cook the onion, celery, and herbs until the onions and celery are softened. Salt the aromatics well so that every bite of your cornbread stuffing has lots of flavor.
- Assemble the stuffing. Add the cornbread to a large mixing bowl with the cranberries and bacon and gently toss with the onion/celery mixture and any butter/fat from the pan. Pour in a mixture of beaten eggs and turkey stock, tossing gently all the while. Turn the cornbread mixture into a large baking dish and cover with foil.
- Bake. The stuffing needs to bake for 30 minutes covered, then another 20ish minutes uncovered. Starting the dish covered traps the steam and prevents the cornbread from drying out; the last few minutes uncovered crisps up the top.
How to Fix Soggy or Dry Stuffing
If it’s soggy: If you find that your cornbread stuffing is very soggy after baking, it’s possible that your bread wasn’t dry enough. No sweat! Bust out a baking sheet and scoop chunks of the stuffing onto the sheet. Bake at 450ºF until it’s browned and sufficiently dried out. Stuffing saved!
If it’s dry: Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a sauce pot with some stock and add a couple of ladles of it to the dry stuffing. Toss it all together and let it soak.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Holiday dinner prep can be really hectic day-of, but luckily this recipe is a cinch to make ahead! There are two options for making this easy cornbread stuffing recipe ahead of time:
- Option 1: Prep the individual components and assemble later. You’ll dry out your cornbread and separately cook your bacon with veggies and herbs and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. On the day of, combine the cornbread with the veggie/bacon mixture and then follow the rest of the recipe and bake as directed.
- Option 2: Completely make the stuffing ahead of time (up to 2 days before). Bake up until you remove the foil. Leave the stuffing covered after baking, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate covered. Remove the stuffing from the fridge 1 hour before baking and bake uncovered until it’s hot and browned on top. You may want to drizzle the stuffing with a bit more melted butter before baking.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes to Try
- Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin
- Frozen Green Bean Casserole
- Fluffy Brioche Dinner Rolls
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Loaded Corn Casserole
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Bacon and Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups day-old cornbread*, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 8 strips bacon, diced
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced plus more for greasing (1 1/2 sticks
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 2 3/4 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Prep the cornbread. Preheat an oven to 325ºF. Lay the cubed cornbread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, until the cornbread is dry. Cool completely. This step can be done up to 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.
- Set an oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Render the bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small bowl.
- Saute the veggies and herbs. Add the butter to the skillet with the bacon fat and increase the heat to medium. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the onion, celery, and herbs to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and celery are softened, then season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and turkey stock until very smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper.
- Assemble the stuffing. Add the cornbread to a large mixing bowl with the cranberries and bacon and gently toss with the onion/celery mixture and any butter/fat from the pan. Gradually pour the stock/egg mixture over the cornbread while tossing gently until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the cornbread mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Let the stuffing sit for 15 minutes.
- Bake. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more fresh herbs, as desired.
Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, brush pieces of the stuffing with melted butter and bake them on a baking sheet at 400ºF until warmed through.
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