Stuffing-Flavored Cornbread
By Ben MimsPublished on November 7, 2025
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe using the reduced sodium version of Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Chicken Base. If you don’t have it, substitute your favorite granulated bouillon. Fine-ground cornmeal is essential to the texture of the cornbread; do not use coarse-ground. For the best results, weigh the cornmeal, as grind size can affect volume measurements.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 3 finely chopped celery ribs and cook, stirring frequently, until celery begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook until vegetables are soft but not browned, about 8 minutes longer.
- Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons minced sage, 1½ teaspoons reduced sodium chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and aromatics are beginning to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 8 pieces), and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
- Use remaining 1 tablespoon butter to grease 9-inch round baking pan. In large bowl, whisk together 1 cup (5 ounces) fine-ground cornmeal, 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon table salt. In second bowl, whisk 2 cups buttermilk and 2 large eggs until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add cooled celery mixture and stir to combine.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top into an even layer. Bake until brown at edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Making a cornbread dressing is usually a fairly labor-intensive process of baking cornbread, drying it out, combining it with seasonings and broth, and then rebaking it. We skipped some of the work to bring classic Thanksgiving flavors directly to the cornbread. Sautéed onions, celery, garlic, and herbs stirred into the batter contributed the familiar aromatic flavor base of a typical dressing. But the real key to our cornbread’s stuffing-like flavor was adding concentrated chicken bouillon, which gave it a deep, savory underpinning. Using a 1:1 ratio of cornmeal and flour made for a tender yet still-nubbly crumb, while buttermilk brought subtle tang. Plenty of melted butter ensured a rich, moist texture.
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe using the reduced sodium version of Better Than Bouillon Premium Roasted Chicken Base. If you don’t have it, substitute your favorite granulated bouillon. Fine-ground cornmeal is essential to the texture of the cornbread; do not use coarse-ground. For the best results, weigh the cornmeal, as grind size can affect volume measurements.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 3 finely chopped celery ribs and cook, stirring frequently, until celery begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook until vegetables are soft but not browned, about 8 minutes longer.
- Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons minced sage, 1½ teaspoons reduced sodium chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and aromatics are beginning to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 8 pieces), and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
- Use remaining 1 tablespoon butter to grease 9-inch round baking pan. In large bowl, whisk together 1 cup (5 ounces) fine-ground cornmeal, 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon table salt. In second bowl, whisk 2 cups buttermilk and 2 large eggs until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add cooled celery mixture and stir to combine.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top into an even layer. Bake until brown at edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm.
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