Fried Cornbread Dressing Balls
Deep Fried Cornbread Dressing Balls with Cranberry Dip are perfect for Sunday afternoon snacking and using up all the Thanksgiving leftovers.
What do you do with all that leftover stuffing or dressing after the big meal? You turn them into a delicious appetizer for the weekend.
When you think of stuffing or dressing does your mouth start to water? Mine does because that means I am getting my mother in law’s cornbread dressing.
She makes dressing and not stuffing because we usually deep fry our turkey. Deep frying a turkey that is full of stuffing is not a good idea!!
So my mother in law makes the dressing in a casserole dish, but not just any dressing, she makes homemade cornbread dressing.
Most people use bread, leftover rolls, or the mix that comes in a bag, but Judy makes hers using cornbread and biscuits.
To get the cornbread dressing recipe started, she makes cast iron cornbread. Her old-fashioned cornbread mix poured into a screaming hot cast iron skillet and baked until golden brown.
A cast iron skillet gives the cornbread a crispy crust and a fluffy texture.
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Ingredients Needed
Leftover cornbread dressing – Here is a great recipe for skillet cornbread or use this southern cornbread dressing recipe.
Cheese – I like a sharp cheddar but use your favorite
Flour – I have only tested this recipe with all purpose flour.
Poultry seasoning – I like to use homemade but you can use a combo of oregano, thyme, and sage.
Panko – Use regular or gluten free.
Sour cream – Full fat, reduced fat, or fat free. You can also use Greek yogurt.
Cranberry sauce – Canned or leftover homemade will work.
Pantry staples – salt, pepper, eggs, milk, oil for frying
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How to make Leftover Cornbread Dressing Balls
FIirst: Combine the cornbread dressing and the cheese. Mix to combine. Scoop into 1.5 inch balls and roll in you hands to make them smooth.
Second: Combine flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Beat eggs and milk together in a second bowl. Add the Panko crumbs in a third bowl.
Third: Dredge each ball through the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Transfer each dressing ball to the egg mixture and evenly coat. Roll each ball in the Panko crumbs until evenly coated. Set each stuffing ball on a plate and allow to sit for a few minutes to allow the coating to stick.
Fourth: Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375F. Working batches of 4 or 5, carefully place the cornbread dressing balls in the oil and fry until all sides are golden brown. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Continue until all the dressing balls are fried. Keep in a 250F oven to keep warm until serving.
Fifth: Combine equal parts sour cream and leftover cranberry sauce. Stir to combine. Serve with the fried cornbread dressing balls. Enjoy!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How do you moisten leftover stuffing?
If your stuffing or dressing is too dry to stay in the ball shape, add some chicken stock until the dressing sticks together.
Is stuffing and dressing the same thing?
It’s stuffing if it’s going into the bird and dressing if it’s baked separately.
Can I use the stuffing from inside the turkey for leftovers?
Yes, because you are cooking it again. Just make sure the internal temperature comes to 165F.
The cornbread dressing isn’t the only thing you can use leftovers for, these fried cornbread dressing balls need something to dip into.
Equal parts cranberry sauce and sour cream make the perfect pairing for the stuffing balls. You know you have some sour cream leftover from all the dips you made!
And at least 2 of the kids didn’t eat their portion of cranberry sauce so you are all set!
These deep-fried cornbread dressing balls are an easy appetizer that uses up any leftovers you might have and are perfect for couch sitting and football watching on Saturday and Sunday.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Are you dreaming of Thanksgiving leftovers already? Here are some recipes for leftover cornbread or other ingredients to look forward to before you even start cooking on the big day!
Deep Fried Cornbread Dressing Balls
Ingredients
For the cornbread dressing balls
- 2.5 cups leftover cornbread dressing
- 1/2 cup cheese shredded
Stuffing Balls Coating
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for Frying
Cranberry Dip
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce use leftovers if you have it
Instructions
Make the dressing balls
- Combine the cornbread dressing and the cheese.
- Mix to combine.
- Scoop into 1.5 inch balls and roll in you hands to make them smooth.
Prepare the coating
- Combine flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Beat eggs and milk together in a second bowl.
- Add the Panko crumbs in a third bowl.
Coat the dressing balls
- Dredge each ball through the flour mixture and shake off any excess.
- Transfer each dressing ball to the egg mixture and evenly coat.
- Roll each ball in the Panko crumbs until evenly coated.
- Set each stuffing ball on a plate and allow to sit for a few minutes to allow the coating to stick.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375F.
Fry the dressing balls
- Working batches of 4 or 5, carefully place the cornbread dressing balls in the oil and fry until all sides are golden brown.
- Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- Continue until all the dressing balls are fried.
- Keep in a 250F oven to keep warm until serving.
Prepare the cranberry dip
- Combine equal parts sour cream and leftover cranberry sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Serve with the fried cornbread dressing balls.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Appetizers
Looking for other great THANKSGIVING LEFTOVER recipes to try?
turkey or ham recipe:
- Turkey Ala King
- Turkey Salad Sliders
- Roasted Turkey Tater Tot Casserole
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Risotto
- Ham and Potato Supreme
- Chicken/Turkey Tortilla Soup
- Easy Turkey Tetrazinni
- Turkey Pot Pie
recipes for leftover mashed potatoes:
leftover cranberry recipes:
- Roasted Cranberry Crostini
- Roasted Cranberry Bourbon Crush
- Sugared Cranberries
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Brie and Cranberry Puff Pastry
recipes for leftover pie or pie crust:
- Pie Crust Cookies with Whiskey Caramel Drizzle
- Pumpkin Spice Swirls
- Apple Pie Blizzard
- Pumpkin Pie Croissant Bundles
- Pumpkin Dip
- Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake
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These are a huge hit at my house. Thanks for the recipe. Question. Could you make these and freeze them. And then go straight to deep fry/air fryer. Has anyone tried this. I would love to make ahead the day before and use for a quick cook
I haven’t tried that but I am think it would work. Maybe freeze them and take them out of the freezer about 15 minutes before frying so they cook evenly. But if you make them the day before I think they would be ok in the fridge before freezing.
So here it is Sunday after Thanksgiving with tons of cornbread dressing leftover. After trying these, we will make sure that we double our recipe so we can make more if these balls next year!
I did add 1 large jalapeno otherwise I followed exact. I didn’t even get a chance to make the sauce because my family was gobbling them down so fast, there was no point for the few that were left.
We have renamed them Turkey say hushpuppies. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them! I love that name! Turkey Day Hushpuppies!!
I plan to make these into patties and air-fry them!
Please let me know how they turn out! I would love to add that option to the recipe:)
I’m definitely going to try this. I made dressing just like your MIL does. Mine always turns out great. But this sounds great too. I don’t have to make it to rate it cause I know it will be a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. Thank you for posting the recipe
Thank you so much!!
We love cornbread and I can’t wait to try this twist on using the leftovers!
I make the same dressing every year. Your Mother in law’s cornbread dressing would be a giant hit with my hubby!! I only hope there are plenty of leftovers so we can have these while we watch our Huskers play on Black Friday!! Woop!
These look absolutely addicting! I’m going to make extra stuffing this year, just so I can make these!
What a fun and tasty recipe! This is perfect for entertaining on the holiday weekend.. The cranberry dipping sauce goes so well with the cornbread balls and I can think of many other things I could dip into it. Love all the recipe ideas you are sharing in this post. I am going to have a hard time deciding what to make first!
I make the same dressing every year. Your Mother in law’s cornbread dressing would be a giant hit with my hubby!! I only hope there are plenty of leftovers so we can have these while we watch our Huskers play on Black Friday!! Woop!
You are so clever Jennifer! These look so tasty, and cornbread stuffing is my favorite. I would love to do these for my next cocktail party!
What a fun and tasty recipe! This is perfect for entertaining on the holiday weekend.. The cranberry dipping sauce goes so well with the cornbread balls and I can think of many other things I could dip into it. Love all the recipe ideas you are sharing in this post. I am going to have a hard time deciding what to make first!
These look absolutely addicting! I’m going to make extra stuffing this year, just so I can make these!