Our Best Thanksgiving Dressing Recipes for Your Holiday Menu

Classic Cornbread Dressing
Photo: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, no holiday meal is complete without this essential turkey side dish. Alongside the steamy heap of slow-cooked greens, cheesy mac and cheese, and sweet-and-tangy cranberry sauce lives a spoonful (or two) of the most delicious Thanksgiving dressing. A special treat most enjoyed on this holiday, Thanksgiving dressing is the perfect buffer for all the other side dishes on the plate. Whether you cook it inside the turkey or make it in a casserole pan, homemade dressing is the quintessential Thanksgiving side dish.

The best Thanksgiving dressing recipe starts with a solid cornbread foundation, no matter what variation of the recipe is made. Bring family and friends together over some of our favorite Thanksgiving dressing and stuffing recipes and watch it all disappear.

01 of 16

Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing

Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing

Made with four different types of bread, this Cornbread Dressing will be the star of the show on your Thanksgiving table.

02 of 16

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Southern Cornbread Dressing
Lee Harrelson

Recipe: Southern Cornbread Dressing

Complete with homemade cornbread crumbles, this recipe will be passed down in the family for years to come.

03 of 16

Classic Cornbread Dressing

Classic Cornbread Dressing
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing

This classic recipe calls for homemade cornbread. That might sound like a lot of effort, but it is totally worth it. You can also make the cornbread up to two days in advance.

04 of 16

Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

With wild rice, apples, and walnuts, this dressing is full of flavor that many of your guests might not expect.

05 of 16

Grits Dressing

Grits Dressing Recipe
Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Grits Dressing

If you've been making the same Cornbread Dressing for too many years to count, it may be time to switch it up and try incorporating another Southern staple, grits, into your dressing.

06 of 16

Karen Rankin's Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy

Karen’s Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Karen Rankin's Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy

We love a make-ahead recipe during the busy holiday season. You can assemble this recipe the day before, just let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

07 of 16

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel

Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel

The large chunks of cornbread in this dressing pair well with mild Italian sausage and fennel.

08 of 16

Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

Slow-Cooker Cornbread Turkey Dressing
Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

We didn't think making cornbread dressing could get any easier, then we came up with this slow cooker cornbread dressing recipe, which makes the process infinitely easier to prepare (and a couple of degrees more delicious too).

09 of 16

Classic Bread Dressing

Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Bread Dressing

Try this sourdough bread dressing instead of your usual cornbread. You might have a new go-to recipe.

10 of 16

Best Cornbread Dressing

Best Cornbread Dressing
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Best Cornbread Dressing

The secret to good dressing in starting with dried cornbread. Let the cornbread dry in a large, opened plastic bag at room temperature for 24 hours.

11 of 16

Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

This dressing is flavored with jalapeños, chorizo, and cilantro for a spicy Thanksgiving side.

12 of 16

Mimi's Cornbread Dressing

Mimi's Cornbread Dressing
Southern Living

Recipe: Mimi's Cornbread Dressing

Packaged mixes and store bought cornbread vary in sweetness and moisture; so for this savory dressing, make yours from scratch. We guarantee that this simple buttermilk skillet version will give your dressing the best texture and flavor, satisfying even the most discerning of dressing-loving dinner guests.

13 of 16

Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

Nutty and earthy flavors shine in this quintessential Thanksgiving recipe. It's so good you may consider serving it with meats like pork or roasted chicken throughout the year.

14 of 16

Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing

Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing

Use Jiffy corn muffin mix to make your life easier when prepping this dressing recipe. Other than baking the cornbread, the rest of the recipe comes together in one skillet.

15 of 16

Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing

Cornbread-'n'-Squash-Dressing

Recipe: Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing

Squash casserole and cornbread meet to make your new favorite dressing. Serve with other holiday favorites like green bean casserole or mac and cheese for an unforgettable meal.

16 of 16

Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing
Oxmoor House

Recipe: Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

Let the slow cooker combine the flavors of turkey and herbed cornbread to create a meal that's certainly worth second helpings.

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