Best Cornbread Dressing

Is there anything else that smells as much like Mom's kitchen as a pan of piping hot cornbread dressing? Whether baked and served in a cast iron skillet, baking dish, or enamel roasting pan, the cornbread dressing is always placed front and center on the dinner table. You might be able to get away with making Melting Sweet Potatoes  instead of the Classic Sweet Potato Casserole or Smothered Green Beans  instead of the traditional Green Bean Casserole, but don't even think about changing up the family cornbread dressing. The best dressing always starts with a good cornbread recipe. If making dressing with store-bought cornbread or a mix different than the one we use in this recipe, be sure that it's more savory than sweet—3 grams of sugar or less per serving is ideal. The cornbread gives the dressing structure and goes a long way in determining the texture of the dish. For best practices, don't use fresh baked bread or you will wind up with a soggy bread soup. To make good dressing, your cornbread needs to be dried first. Crumble or cube cooled cornbread and put it in a large plastic bag. Leave the bag open so air can get in and dry the bread. You can let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.