Everything sounds like a cake. I don't know that you could make this more fluffy unless you could whip some air into the eggs and butter.

I wonder if it's the cornbread. That's not going to stand up to the broth like stale bread.

Possibly toast the cornbread crumbles a bit too. Also, maybe cut down on the broth amount. Just add enough to moisten a bit. Add more if necessary about half way through baking. Another thought: don't cover. Compare this recipe to other baked stuffing recipes to see if most recommend covering for some of the baking. And, finally, perhaps shorten the baking time. 50 minutes seems a bit long for what should basically be just reheating. Especially if you use warm broth. Again, check out the directions against some other baked stuffing recipes to see what's the norm.

Edited to add: Thanks to Moosemac for mentioning the eggs. Somehow I totally missed them. Two eggs plus 3 cups of broth is a lot of liquid. That could make the final dish dense and mushy. Plus the eggs cook up like a custard. Not a fluffy stuffing, and that sounds like what you're looking for.

To start, I would cut back or eliminate the eggs. I don't use eggs in stuffing it makes it too dense. Also I agree with Shambo, toast the cornbread crumbles.

Thanks I'm going to remake it and incorporate these suggestions. I do make a traditional turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes. But we have so many people here that we need 3 pans of stuffing, so I like to experiment with at least one different kind. Last year I did pear and sausage stuffing muffins. They were really good. I might do those again too. The kids liked those bc you can pick up your own muffin instead of scooping out of a casserole dish.

Thanks again!

I too have between 20 and 30 but every year, To make it worse I have them all back again for Christmas and it's virtually the same menu ! Mind you our T-Day is in early October.

I change up some of the sides each year but there would be mutiny if I
messed with the stuffing, turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes.....now that I think of it the ham, baked beans and sweet potato and caramelized onion casserole too. Such a boring family but I do manage at least two new sides.

As long as you have the traditional dressing/stuffing......and lots of it...experimenting is fun!

When we were up north (Michigan) year round, I used to host T'day for about 24. I would bake my cornbread, crumble it up and freeze the week before. I would also cook the wet ingredients (sausage, onions, celery) and freeze that separately. Defrost and combine it the day of, add stock and bake. It was always light, moist and crumbly.

I also make my traditional favorites that have passed on over the years but also add some new trials. I've been making a wild rice, wild mushroom with both cornbread, (a homemade basic but left to dry out a day, or a week before and freeze)) and toasted boule 'croutons' and cubed boule. No eggs. The toasted bread adds flavor without the density. So i make two dressings using some of the ingredients from the original but make one with homemade veg stock and one with chicken stock and lamb sausage. (one vegetarian).

Most of my bread comes from the freezer using ends and half loafs from earlier baking. Also remember to toss all together just before baking. Even if prepped ahead. We chop and prep ahead but keep the moist elements separate...even in zip-locks like a kit. The day before i'll have all the sauted veg like the celery onion parsley in a bowl, and top that with all the zip-locked bread, etc. Toss together easily just before baking.

All our chopping happens the day or even 2 days before and some sautéing. As well as toasted nuts, Salads dressings, all the mixed roots and veg for roasting tossed in a bit of olive oil...separate bags based on cooking time....never roasted ahead but ready to go....

I even set the table the night before since it is such a mess trying to find all my favorite settings and i try to do something different every year.

I do a 50/50 mix of cornbread and stale white bread. /breads cut into chunks and toasted in oven. Add broth just to moisten. No eggs (my aunt makes dressing with eggs, and I like hers, but I never learned how to make it).

I would leave out the cheese - that can make it dense, but I would not decrease the eggs - I have always used eggs, and mine always comes out fluffy. However, I make a somewhat smaller batch. I have also made it with grits instead of cornbread, and that is a bit of a time-saver.

These days, there are only two of us for Thanksgiving, as we have not been back to Texas since our parents died in 2012. The last family meal we had was in 2011, unless you count when my sister and niece visit us in California (not at the same time, but they bring their husbands). I could serve a crowd at my house, but that almost never happens. We used to have Thanksgiving with Jimmy & Maartje in Torrance, but we have grown apart, it seems. I think it is partly due to problems they are having with their son, but I am not sure.