Slow Cooker Chicken and Cornbread Dressing

Some dishes feel like a warm hug, and this slow cooker chicken and cornbread dressing is one of them. It’s soft and savory, with chicken in every bite. Best of all, everything cooks in one pot, so you can skip the oven.

I make it for Sunday dinner and holiday tables. But I also make it on plain Tuesday nights, when I want comfort food and no extra work.

Why This Slow Cooker Dressing Works

The eggs and the cream of chicken soup do most of the work. The eggs set the pot, so the dressing slices instead of slumping. Meanwhile, the soup keeps it creamy through hours of cooking.

The butter on top matters too. As it melts, it runs down through the crumbs. That gives you a golden, savory top without an oven.

Then there’s the broth. Hold it back at first. Cornbread soaks up liquid slowly, and then all at once. So add the broth a splash at a time, and you stay in control. Pour it all in, and you end up with porridge.

Ingredients

For the cornbread:

• 3 packets yellow cornbread mix (6 oz each), plus whatever the packets call for

For the chicken:

• 2 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• Broth from cooking the chicken (you’ll use 1 soup can’s worth, plus a little extra)

For the veggies:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 stick butter

For the mix:

• 4 raw eggs
• 1 family-size can cream of chicken soup (about 22.6 oz)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ½ teaspoon sage

For the pot:

• ½ stick butter, sliced
• Nonstick cooking spray

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Cornbread Dressing

1. Bake the cornbread as the package says. Let it cool, then crumble it into small pieces.
2. Cook the chicken, shred it, and keep the broth.
3. Melt 1 stick of butter in a pan. Cook the onion and celery until soft.
4. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs with the soup, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and sage.
5. Stir in the crumbled cornbread, the veggies, and the chicken. Fill the empty soup can once with broth and add that too. If the mix looks dry, add more broth a splash at a time.
6. Spray your slow cooker and pour everything in. Then lay the sliced butter on top.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the dressing is cooked through and set how you like it.

Prep time: about 40 minutes, including the cornbread and chicken [PLACEHOLDER: confirm with your own timing] Cook time: 4 to 5 hours on LOW Servings: about 10 [PLACEHOLDER: confirm]

Kima’s Tips

First, make it the night before. Mix everything, cover it, and chill it. Then start the slow cooker in the morning.

Next, go easy on the broth. It’s easier to loosen the mix than to fix a soggy one.

Also, let the cornbread cool all the way before you crumble it. Warm cornbread smears, and you want crumbs.

Check the center, not the edges. The edges set first, so they can fool you.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them with a spoonful of broth so they don’t dry out.

For serving, put gravy or cranberry sauce on the side.

Variations

Add sausage for a richer pot. Brown a pound first, then stir it in with the chicken.

You can also swap the soup. Cream of celery and cream of mushroom both work.

I’d skip extra sage, though. More than half a teaspoon takes over fast, so I leave it alone.

Make-Ahead Notes

You can mix the whole thing the night before. Cover it and keep it in the fridge until morning. Then cook it as written.

However, don’t leave the raw egg mix on the counter. It goes in the fridge or the slow cooker, with nothing in between.

Cooked leftovers reheat well. Add a splash of broth, cover, and heat until hot all the way through.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Leftovers are half the reason I make a big pot. Press a scoop into a hot, buttered skillet and crisp both sides. Then top it with a fried egg, and you have breakfast.

For dinner, green beans or buttered peas make an easy side. Add gravy, and you’re done.

Kima

Slow Cooker Chicken and Cornbread Dressing

Soft, savory cornbread dressing with shredded chicken in every bite, all cooked in one slow cooker. Great for Sunday dinner, holiday tables, or any night you want comfort food without watching the oven.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cornbread

• 3 packets yellow cornbread mix (6 oz each) plus whatever the packets call for

For the chicken

• 2 to 4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• broth from cooking the chicken you’ll use 1 soup can’s worth, plus a little extra

For the veggies

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 cup celery chopped
• 1 stick butter

For the mix

• 4 raw eggs
• 1 can family-size cream of chicken soup about 22.6 oz
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon sage

For the pot

• 1/2 stick butter sliced
• nonstick cooking spray

Method

 

1. Bake the cornbread as the package says. Let it cool, then crumble it into small pieces.
2. Cook the chicken, shred it, and keep that broth.
3. Melt 1 stick of butter in a pan. Cook the onion and celery until soft.
4. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs with the soup, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and sage.
5. Stir in the crumbled cornbread, the veggies, the chicken, and the empty soup can filled once with broth. If it looks dry, add more broth a splash at a time.
6. Spray your slow cooker, pour everything in, and lay the sliced butter on top.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until cooked through and set how you like it.

Notes

Make it the night before. Mix everything, cover and refrigerate, then start the slow cooker in the morning.

Don’t add all the broth at once. It’s easier to loosen the mix than to fix a soggy one.

Cool the cornbread all the way before crumbling.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a spoonful of broth so it doesn’t dry out.

Serve it with gravy or cranberry sauce on the side.