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Before I even begin to debate over cornbread and white bread when it comes to dressing, I probably need to confess that I grew up where the turkey was stuffed and the “stuffing” was cooked inside the bird. In fact, I still make it that way every year. Out of respect for my husband’s Arkansas roots, I do invite my mother-in-law to make a pan of her cornbread dressing and bring it along to Thanksgiving dinner each year. We are a “house divided,” but it has nothing to do with football and everything to do with how we prefer our Thanksgiving sides.
In Arkansas, dressing is serious business. The word stuffing rarely makes an appearance unless it’s in reference to the act of filling the turkey with something else entirely—like herbs, apples, or maybe a lemon or two. Arkansans always cook the bird separately, and the dressing gets a pan all its own. That’s because, to most Arkansans, dressing is a dish that deserves to shine on its own.
Cornbread dressing reigns supreme across much of the state. Its roots run deep, tracing back to the early settlers who relied on corn as one of their most dependable crops that grew well in the poor soil of the Ozarks and Delta. Every farm family had their own cornbread recipe, and it naturally became the base for dressing. Over time, it became a staple at church potlucks, Sunday dinners, and, of course, Thanksgiving.
The traditional cornbread dressing of Arkansas starts with a skillet of golden, slightly dry cornbread that’s crumbled into a large bowl. Chopped onions, celery, and plenty of sage get mixed in, along with chicken broth to bind it all together. Some cooks add boiled eggs, others swear by cream of chicken soup, and a few insist on baking it in a cast-iron skillet. No two recipes are ever quite the same, but nearly every Arkansas family has one they consider the right way.
But not everyone in Arkansas is a cornbread purist. In many kitchens, especially in towns with families who migrated from the Midwest or other regions, you’ll find a blend of both cornbread and white bread (or even leftover biscuits). Mixing the two can create a dressing that’s softer and a little more neutral in flavor—still rich and comforting, but less crumbly and rustic than pure cornbread. It’s the compromise recipe for those who love the heartiness of cornbread but want the moisture and mildness of a traditional bread stuffing.
Photo courtesy of Keisha McKinney.
Ask five Arkansans how to make dressing, and you’ll get at least 10 opinions. Some like it baked until crisp on top, others prefer it spoon-soft. Some insist on fresh sage; others use dried. One family might pour in enough broth to make it almost pudding-like, while another keeps it dry enough to slice neatly. Some people add turkey or chicken into the mix. And every single one of them will tell you theirs is the right way.
That’s part of what makes Thanksgiving in Arkansas so special. The recipes passed down through generations, handwritten on index cards, tucked into church cookbooks, or stored in memory, are as much about family as they are about food. Dressing isn’t just a side dish here; it’s a story, a tradition and sometimes even a friendly argument.
For those of us who didn’t grow up in Arkansas, it can be a little intimidating to bring our own stuffing-style recipes to the table. Up in New England, where I’m from, it’s perfectly normal to stuff the bird and call it a day. In fact, my grandmother’s stuffing recipe, made with cubed sandwich bread, butter and poultry seasoning, was always baked right inside the turkey cavity. The rich drippings from the roasted turkey gave it incredible flavor, and no one thought twice.
But here in Arkansas, most cooks wouldn’t dream of filling their turkey with bread, cornbread or anything else. Instead, dressing is baked separately in big casserole dishes, allowing every family member to scoop up a portion with just the right ratio of crispy edges to soft center.
So, whether you prefer cornbread alone, are a fan of the mixed-bread approach, or a die-hard stuffing traditionalist like me, there’s really no wrong way to celebrate Thanksgiving. What matters most is the connection those recipes create between generations, between families, and sometimes between two regions of the country coming together at one table.
If you don’t have a favorite recipe yet, here are two from the “What’s Cookin’ at First Security Vol. 2” cookbook that I think you’ll enjoy.
Cornbread Dressing (with bread)
By Odeal Adams
- 1 fryer-sized whole chicken, including giblets
- 2 (7 oz.) Jiffy cornbread mixes
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 sticks of butter, melted
- 6 slices of white bread, torn into pieces
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 (10 oz.) can of cream of mushroom soup
- 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
Instructions:
Boil the fryer until done, reserving the broth. Remove chicken from broth and cool. When cooled, debone and shred meat. Cook giblets in a small amount of water until done and set aside. Bake cornbread according to package directions, cool and crumble. Sauté onion and celery in 2 tablespoons of butter.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, white bread, sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add beaten eggs, sautéed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, and remaining melted butter to the dry mixture. Add reserved chicken broth and enough canned broth (if needed) to make dressing the consistency of cake batter. Add shredded chicken and stir. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes or until done. Serve with giblet gravy.
Chicken Dressing (without bread)
by Sharon Hanna
- 4 packages Mexican cornbread
- 1 can each: cream of mushroom, cream of chicken and cream of celery soup
- 1 package seasoning blend (onions, peppers, celery), cooked to tender
- 1 large whole chicken or 8 chicken breasts
- Paprika
- Chicken broth (I buy 2 cans and also use broth from boiled chicken)
Make cornbread according to package directions. Bake, cool and cut into one-inch squares and set aside. Boil chicken or chicken breasts until tender. Reserve broth. Cool chicken and pull all meat off bones.
Combine cornbread cubes, soups, and chicken in a large bowl. Add seasoning blend and stir well. Add both cans of broth and some of the broth left from boiling the chicken. (I use skinless, boneless chicken breasts so my broth left from boiling isn’t rich enough.) You want the mixture to be the consistency similar to cornbread or cake mix before baking.
Pour into a large greased pan (I use a 9x15x3-inch Pampered Chef baking dish, but any pan large enough will do). Sprinkle paprika over top and bake at 350°F until set.
Thank you to Odeal Adams and Sharon Hanna for these recipes. There are over 800 recipes in the “What’s Cookin’ at First Security Vol. 2,” all submitted by employees and customers. Proceeds from the sales go to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to help feed people across the state. You can purchase the cookbooks for $20 at any First Security Bank location.
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