Southern Cornbread Dressing – Dessert for Two

For those who want only one new recipe this Thanksgiving, my Southern Cornbread Dressing is it. That is the one dressing recipe my household has ever made!

This Cornbread Dressing is the very best of the very best

That is the very best recipe I bought; it is all right here, people. I could end up the lights on this weblog after sharing this.

My Southern Corn Bread Dressing was saved for years to place in my second cookbook as a result of I knew it might be a game-changer.  Additionally, you will discover a ‘Thanksgiving for Two’ feast within the e book, and this cornbread dressing is in it, albeit in a small pan for 2. Right here, I doubled it to serve 4-6 for our small Thanksgiving collection we have occurring.

When serving, use the rectangular pan within the photographs, or an 8×8 baking dish. The pan I simply linked you to has a lid, so in case you’re doing a potluck Thanksgiving, it is excellent for you!

If you’re searching for Thanksgiving recipes, we’ve got a complete part dedicated to it.  Plus a Thanksgiving for Two collection, and a group of Thanksgiving Recipes Sides so that you can take pleasure in.

Like all good issues, this recipe is first my Mama’s. She says she clipped it from a Southern Residing journal a long time in the past, and fairly frankly, it is the one sort of dressing or stuffing I’ve ever tasted in my life. I needn’t strive another dressings; that is nearly as good because it will get.

Our cornbread dressing is the explanation individuals drive for hours throughout Texas to descend on my dad and mom’ home for Turkey Day. When you style it, you’ll beg for an invitation.

To make in a 9×13-inch pan:

First issues first: sure, you may double this recipe! I double it and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan for my household. I minimize it in half for the photographs above, however right here is a photograph of it in a bigger pan.

For this model, I did the next:

• I doubled the cornbread recipe to be 2 cups of cornmeal, 1 ⅓ cups of flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 giant eggs, 2 cups buttermilk, and 6 tablespoons of melted butter. I baked this cornbread for 20 minutes (or till accomplished) in the very same 9×13-inch pan I bake the dressing in. One much less pan to scrub, hooray!
• As soon as the cornbread was accomplished, I let it cool after which crumbled it into a big bowl. I cubed the bread slices, and blended that in together with the spices and salt. This combination sat out in a single day on the counter to go barely stale. Making your cornbread and bread stale helps it soak up extra liquid the following day if you bake.
• I doubled the dressing recipe to be: the cornbread recipe above, 8 slices of white bread, 3 teaspoons of salt (sure, actually), 3 teaspoons of dried rubbed sage leaves, 4 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, 1 ⅓ cup diced onion, 1 ⅓ cup sliced celery, 1 ⅓ cup water, 12 tablespoons of butter, 3 cups of hen broth, 4 giant eggs, and 1 cup of milk. Then, baked it for 22-25 minutes, in the identical pan I baked the cornbread in.

What’s cornbread dressing?

Cornbread dressing is similar factor as common ‘stuffing,’ however made with cornbread and white bread. Sometimes ‘stuffing’ is simply made with white bread. And technically, it’s ‘stuffing’ if its contained in the turkey and ‘dressing’ if its baked individually on the aspect. Stale cornbread crumbles and rancid bread cubes are tossed along with your favourite Thanksgiving spices (sage, parsley, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary), after which baked in a custard of milk and eggs studded with chopped onions and celery. It’s like a savory bread pudding, in one of the simplest ways attainable.

Elements for this Cornbread Dressing Recipe

For the cornbread:

• Cornmeal. We’re making a batch of cornbread that we are going to then crumble and use for the cornbread dressing, and it begins with cornmeal. You need to use finely floor or stone floor cornmeal, and it may be yellow, white and even blue cornmeal.
• Flour. A small quantity of flour minimize into the cornmeal makes the cornbread fluffy.
• Sugar. My cornbread recipe has a really small quantity of sugar in it.
• Baking Powder. One and a half teaspoons of baking powder, for rising.
• Baking Soda. A really small quantity (¼ teaspoon) of baking soda for rising.
• Salt. I prefer to prepare dinner with wonderful sea salt.
• Eggs. Two giant eggs, at room temperature.
• Buttermilk. One cup of buttermilk makes the very best cornbread. You may substitute the identical quantity of milk which you can have added one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to, in case you don’t have buttermilk.
• Butter. Melted butter is the important thing for the very best cornbread!

For the dressing:

• Sliced White Bread. The opposite bulk of our cornbread dressing is sliced white bread. We are going to dice it earlier than letting it go stale on the counter.
• Rubbed Sage. Rubbed sage is dry sage leaves which were crushed/ crumbled. If you wish to use recent sage, finely minced the leaves till you might have 1 tablespoon.
• Poultry Seasoning. That is the principle flavoring part, so I feel it’s necessary to purchase a pleasant one. I like when you may see the person herb flecks as an alternative of a powdery model. Poultry seasoning incorporates sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.
• Celery. Celery is the quintessential Thanksgiving vegetable, and this dressing requires ⅔ cup of finely chopped celery. That is bizarre, however my Grasp’s Diploma is in celery manufacturing, and farmers in California and Arizona rush to get their celery crop within the floor on the finish of summer season in order that they’re assured their ‘Thanksgiving harvest.’ Additionally, completely nothing smells higher than driving by a area of celery being minimize for harvest.
• Onion. An equal quantity of chopped onion to celery: ⅔ cup.
• Butter. Six tablespoons of melted butter for the custard-like base right here.
• Hen Inventory. You need to use 1 ½ cups of store-bought hen inventory, or you should use leftover turkey inventory.
• Eggs. Two giant eggs, overwhelmed earlier than being added to the bowl.
• Milk. I choose entire milk for baking.

Learn how to make Dressing

The recipe first begins with a batch of cornbread. Use a packaged combine as my Mama does, or you should use my small batch of cornbread, doubled. I baked it in 12 muffin cups, however you possibly can additionally do an 8×8″ pan.

1. First, mix the dry substances: flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

2. Subsequent, stir within the buttermilk and egg. (For those who want a recipe to make use of the additional buttermilk: small batch biscuits).

3. Lastly, add the butter. See all of the bubbles beginning to type within the batter? That is as a result of buttermilk is magic.

4. Divide the combination into 12 muffin cups, or use an 8×8″ pan.

5. Now take all of the pretties and crumble them up–some giant chunks are wonderful.

6. Subsequent, dice 4 slices of white bread. That is actually the one time I ever purchase white bread.

7. To the crumbled cornbread and bread cubes, add the spices and salt. It is speculated to be 1 ½ teaspoons of rubbed sage and a couple of teaspoons of poultry seasoning, however I am clearly including a complete tablespoon. You simply cannot over-spice it. Additionally, do not skimp on the salt: 1 ½ teaspoons is ideal.

So, that is the half that’s ideally accomplished the day earlier than. My Mama leaves her bread and spice combination out in a single day on the counter to go stale. For those who did not plan forward, dry it within the oven to 10 minutes whereas the oven preheats.

The following day (in case you left your bread and spices on the counter in a single day):

8. Now, this subsequent step is a bit bizarre however stick with me. We have come this far. You are going to saute ⅔ cup of onions and celery in 6 tablespoons of butter plus ⅔ cup of water. I do know it is bizarre to saute in water, however belief me on this Southern Cornbread Dressing quest. Saute for about 5 minutes to melt the veggies.

9. Pour this golden combination over the bread. (My butter is so golden yellow as a result of I exploit Kerrygold!)

10. Subsequent, add 1 ½ cups hen broth or turkey broth.

11. Then, add ½ cup of milk.

12. And two overwhelmed eggs. I suppose you possibly can beat the eggs into the milk and add them, however you then’d miss out on one other blurry photograph opp.

13. Whenever you stir all of it collectively, it will likely be very moist. Don’t be concerned your fairly little head over this.

14. Scrape all of it right into a dish. I used this rectangular one, however it’s equal to an 8×8″ sq. pan. Good dressing for 4-6 individuals! Do not smoosh and flatten the dressing. The craggy high develops an important crust.

What temp to prepare dinner cornbread dressing? How lengthy to prepare dinner dressing?

15. Bake at 400-degrees for 20 minutes. Style. Inform me it is the one Thanksgiving dressing recipe you may ever want in life. Amen.

How far forward are you able to make Dressing for Thanksgiving?

We now have experimented with this closely in my household, as a result of all of us agree that, in nearly all circumstances, ‘leftover Thanksgiving meals’ is best than (or just-as-good-as Thanksgiving meals. We now have discovered that cornbread dressing tastes greatest re-heated the following day, so technically, you may make this dish at some point early, refrigerate it after which re-heat over very low warmth earlier than serving. In our household, I make it the morning of Thanksgiving and let it relaxation earlier than re-warming and serving. Contemporary out of the oven, it’s barely crumbly and laborious to serve.

Good Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe notes

• If you’re seeking to keep away from all of the pitfalls of different dressing recipes, this recipe is for you.  To start with, the crumbled cornbread and bread cubes are disregarded in a single day to dry, so the dressing is rarely too moist. There’s milk, eggs, and hen broth to ensure it is by no means too dry. Whereas different dressings may bake up flat and dense, this one has eggs for elevate and fluff. Any potential set-backs to take pleasure in this carb-loaded, best-part-of-Thanksgiving, I-might-skip-the-turkey-for-this-recipe has all been precariously deliberate for and diverted.
• The spices are doubled and tripled what they was within the unique Southern Residing recipe, and nonetheless, I handle to amp them up each time I make the recipe. It simply retains getting higher. Come to my home in 10 years, and I will be including a complete cup of sage.
• For those who make this, you may handle all fan mail to my Mama. I perceive that no different dressing recipe will ever grace your desk after you style this one, so if you wish to begin a social media revolution and ship me snaps, Instagrams, and tweets of you burning the recipe card along with your earlier stuffing recipe, we will completely do this. You will discover me anyplace on social media with the identify ‘dessert for 2.’ I will be ready for you; that is how good this Southern cornbread dressing recipe is!

Learn how to serve Southern Cornbread Dressing:

Let the dressing cool for at the least 10 minutes after baking earlier than reducing into squares and serving.

Southern Dressing Recipe storage

Can cornbread be disregarded in a single day?

 Sure, it’s completely wonderful to crumble or cube cornbread and go away it out at room temperature in a single day in order that it goes stale for dressing. Stale cornbread soaks up extra taste.

Cornbread Dressing FAQs

Do you set eggs in dressing?

 Sure, eggs in dressing give it elevate and fluffy. It additionally helps to bind the entire substances collectively.

What’s the distinction between cornbread stuffing and cornbread dressing?

Nothing, so long as they’re baked the identical method. For those who stuff this right into a turkey to bake it, it’s referred to as ‘stuffing.’ For those who bake in a separate dish, it’s referred to as ‘dressing.’ Similar recipe, completely different names, primarily based on how it’s cooked.

Why is my cornbread dressing mushy?

In case your cornbread dressing is mushy, ensure you baked it in a large sufficient pan. Loads of floor space will assist the highest crisp and the underside bake fully. Additionally, ensure you measured your substances correctly and didn’t add an excessive amount of liquid. You may add extra baking time to assist dry it out, or slice it into squares and toast it earlier than serving.

Why is my cornbread dressing bland?

For those who comply with my recipe, your dressing can be something however bland. As you add the herbs, crush them in your fingers to assist launch the oils. Additionally, remember to add the total quantity of salt the recipe requires, in any other case it could actually style bland.