I’ve got a recipe for Bacon Mushroom Cornbread Dressing, but have never posted the simple and easy recipe my family uses year after year. So, please excuse my error and take a gander at this…
This is the recipe my family has used forever. It’s simple, easy, calls for just a few ingredients and in keeping with my family’s particular tradition, doesn’t include any sage. Now, if you just HAVE to have sage in there, just add it. NO biggie.
And because getting the consistency right before you bake it is really important for the texture of the finished product, I even included the cornbread recipe we use to make the dressing. It’s really no fail using these two recipes.
The mixture should seem pretty soupy when you pour it into the baking dish. If it’s not, it’s going to end up dry. Add more broth if you think you need it.
Don’t like onions? Feel free to leave them out. Want the flavor of onion without the crunch? Just run them through the food chopper or blender before adding them.
And when it comes to the salt and pepper, feel free to taste it and add it to your liking. Since there are no eggs in the recipe, there’s no harm in grabbing a taste. It’s actually one of my favorite things to do at Thanksgiving. I just love to grab a spoonful right before it goes into the oven. Y’all enjoy!
Recipe Card
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 7 cups crumbled cornbread (use recipe below)
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of celery soup
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 13X9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the cornbread, cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, broth, onions, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Please note:
If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Recipe Card
Easy Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for coating skillet
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil. Place the skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Stir until smooth.
- Once the oven has preheated, carefully remove the skillet and pour the batter into the skillet. Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Please note:
If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Please read Stacey’s request that KINDNESS IS REQUIRED. You seem to be very angry. Just because YOUR grandmother made it a certain way, doesn’t mean that everyone else has it wrong.
My last comment was to Linda Ellis.
This is a wonderful recipe!!! My go to for sure!!
Thanks, Jessie!
So easy and delicious!!!!! My go to now!!
my mama made cornbread like this….I know she showed me countless times how to make it….I could never get the proportions right….she’s been gone a year now…..I was ecstatic when I found this recipe…..all the other recipes had flour and sugar….I’ve made this at least once a week since finding it….love it!!!
Wow! Thanks, Diane! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Made it and turn out good.I prefer cutting my own celery instead of cram of cele rd y soup.
I cut the recipe in half, since I’m usually a “party of 1”. Used half a can of each soup, and a soupcan of water with chicken base. 8×8 pan. Added about ½ tsp of poultry seasoning.
It’s probably going to be a long time until I make it again, though…
Was SO freakin’ *delicious* that I ate half the pan in one sitting
Ha! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Even my 13 year old grandaughter, and she’s a picky eater. Thank you for this easy receipe.
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it, Kris!
Every year I try a different dressing recipe, trying to find THE one. Everyone at the table agreed that this dressing is IT. It’s surprising how easy and simple it is. So glad to have found your site and this wonderful dressing recipe.
Thank you so much, Sharon!!
Turned out great!
Glad to hear it!
This is the best way to eat cornbread I’ve ever tried. Before this, I’d pretty much given up on cornbread because of it’s dryness. This is fantastic. My step son is a vegetarian so I had to tweek the recipe some. Instead of cream of chicken soup I just added another can of cream of celery and substituted the chicken broth with water. It is a big hit with my family.
So glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!!
Can you use a packaged cornbread mix or already made cornbread for this recipe?
Absolutely! I’d just avoid sweet cornbread.
If I use condensed soup, do I still need to add water to the soup?
No, just use the soup straight out of the can.
Very good
Thanks!!
I Was Looking For A Recipe For Southern CornBread Dressing (A Boy From Georgia) Without Celery And This Is It Thanks
Sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
Hello, I make this often and will be making it for the big Thanksgiving gathering this year at my friend Chip Hudson’s home. I use chopped celery instead of the soup but I love the cream of chicken soup addition. This is some awesome comfort food to me. There will be many folks gathered and I can’t wait to share. Happy Thanksgiving to y’all.
Happy Thanksgiving, Lynn! Enjoy!
Can you make the night before and just bake the next day????
Absolutely!
This is not southern cornbread dressing. It’s canned soup dressing not southern dressing. I make homemade cornbread dressing recipe from great grand parents. REAL CORNBREAD DRESSING WANT RECIPE I CAN GIVE U BUT NO MEASURES U LEARN HOW TO MAKE AS A CHILD FROM UR GRANDMOTHER
DONT MEAN TO B RUDE BUT THIS ISNT SOUTHERN DRESSING SORRY.
Hey, Linda! I understand that it might not have been your intention, but his did come off a little rude, to be honest. Let’s keep in mind that just because it’s different than your version, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. We can agree on one thing, our grandmothers did it best… and this is the way my grandmother has always made it.
Love the way you responded to this!
Thanks, Gloria! I try my best to offer the same grace that I’d hope someone would offer me if I were having a bad day. 🙂
This is just like my mother’s homemade dressing and adding the chicken soup just makes it moist. My mother did this also and she was never wrong. So you did great with your homemade cornbread dressing!!
Thank you so very much, Joyce!
My family loved this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear it, Rachel! Thanks for letting me know!
I have used several of your recipes and all have been great. I plan on using your family Cornbread Dressing recipe for Thanksgiving except I will have to add Sage since my family has grown up on sage in our dressing. Thank you for caring enough to share your recipes.
Thanks you, Claudia! yes, the sage works perfectly in this recipe. Sure hope it turns out great for you!
Stacey, Always great Recipes, But on this one you FORGOT the SAGE Bro ! Also, with my Dressing , I always added about 6 Eggs Boiled and chopped up ! Jus Saying. Luv Ya, Great Job
Ha! No sage for this fam, but I don’t hate on it. In fact, I include the info so others can add it if they want.
Is this recipe gluten free?
As it is written, no. The cornmeal mix to make the cornbread contains gluten. That being said, plain cornmeal is gluten free so if you used plain cornmeal for the cornbread, that would work. The other issue would be the “cream of” soups, but I’ve recently seen a few gluten free options for those as well. It’s really about ensuring your ingredient are gluten free.
Hmm, we’d actually probably need to make TWO pans of the cornbread to get 7 cups’ worth, right?
No, one batch of cornbread should yield about 7 cups.
I’ll admit it. I’m a Yankee! Born and raised Italian in Chicago. My Thanksgiving stuffing recipe usually has some Italian sausage, maybe chestnuts, mushrooms, walnuts, apples. The list is endless. Year after year, my Southern husband from Tennessee asked for cornbread dressing. I had no clue what that meant! Now I do! I have my misgivings. Canned soup? Do people actually still use that stuff? I am making this for Thanksgiving. I trust you, Stacy. You haven’t guided me wrong so far. I’m sure it will be delish!! Thank you.
Ha! Thanks for the trust. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Great recipes!!
Thanks, Nina!
2 questions. What if you don’t have a cast iron skillet. I mean I do..but It never turns out right.
And will it make a difference to make the cornbread the night before the dressing?
You can certainly use a 9-inch baking pan for the cornbread. And making the cornbread the night before is perfect.
My granddaughter is allergic to eggs, so I was hopeful when I found this recipe.
BUT…you make your cornbread with 2 eggs!
So this is NOT an egg-free cornbread dressing.
I guess I’m confused. Did someone claim this was an egg-free dressing?
Thank you for sharing
Thank you Debra!
Catherine, our family always makes Hot Water Cornbread. Ingredients are only plain medium ground cornmeal, self rising flour, salt, oil and hot water, bake in cast iron skillet. We never add eggs, milk or buttermilk.
That’s certainly an idea!
Thanks 👍 I will definitely be trying this 😊
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
How much sage would you use for this recipe? TIA
1 to 2 teaspoons is common in other recipes like this.
Stacey, I love your recipes and I also enjoy watching you on ‘Everything Southern’. Long live the southern recipes.
Thank you! And thanks for watching!!
Stacey,
This is very close to the dressing recipe I make that was my grandmother’s recipe. She used cream of mushroom soup and finely chopped celery which adds an additional little crunch along with the onions. Her recipe says to make the cornbread a couple of days ahead and let it dry out a little. She also added milk in addition to the chicken broth and her instructions said to “mix with hands and add milk until sloppy.” Can’t have dry dressing!!!!
Glad to know we aren’t the only ones who enjoy a good cornbread dressing!
Thanks for all you do!
Love this! Thanks, Lydia!
I’m a born and raised Southerner and so is my cooking. I cook just like my mom did. The great thing about Southern cooking is tweaking the recipes to make them so the family loves what you’re making. It’s the little things we change though, nothing major. There are very few recipes that I don’t change just a little. I’m sure most people do that. That doesn’t mean that I’m not a Southern cook! Stacey will tell you he tweaks a lot and he’s as Southern as they come! I love your recipes Stacey. Most of them are so familiar to me and I love the changes you usually make in your recipes. And for those of you that don’t like a recipe, so what! Just move on and keep your comments to yourself. Life is hard and sour enough without you ruining everybody’s day!
Thank you so much for these kind words, Janet!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Stacey! Thank you for the recipe! Our southern family recipe includes bacon. The bacon is sliced in 1-2” slices (easiest to do when slightly frozen and cut across whole slab of bacon) and then fried until crisp in a large, deep fry pan. Into it, is added chopped green onions, chopped onions and chopped celery and cooked for a few minutes until tender crisp. That is poured into a large bowl that contains the cornbread (made the day before). Chicken broth is added and mixed until mixture is soupy. Chopped boiled eggs are stirred in, then poured into baking pan. Pats of butter randomly placed on top, then baked until top is nicely browned. Like you, this is the one I have to have at Thanksgiving. That and my cranberry sauce which is very similar to yours, except I add a bit of cinnamon, a smidgen of allspice and a pinch of nutmeg. 😉
Thanks for sharing your recipes! Excited for you, your success and for your Chinaberry House! I look forward to purchasing your book! Abundant blessings to you and your family! Happy Thanksgiving!! 😊
Thanks so so much, Bethann! And thanks for sharing you time-honored family recipe with us! It sounds absolutely amazing! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Stacey! I do plan to try adding the cream of chicken soup this year. I think it may make it even better! I won’t know until I try, right? 😉
I also will be trying your recipe for when I just want dressing, without the bacon, both as you make it and also trying it with the veggies that I’m accustomed to. That’s the beauty of southern cooking, any cooking for that matter – adding in or taking out what you want or don’t want. I love to experiment with my cooking.
Love your kindness and big heart! Your recipes too!! 😊
That’s so true! The beauty of being able to cook your own food is you get to make it just how you like it! Hope it turns out great for you! Thank you so much!
I’ll stick to Granma Yancey’s recipe. 2 days before, I lay out 3-4 slices of bread and cover with a flour sack. 1 day before I bake 2 9×13 pans of cornbread. I also finely chop 2 ribs of celery and chop a medium onion and put them in ziplock bags in the fridge. I boil eggs while I’m chopping, some for the dressing and some for deviled eggs. Thursday morning I get out my big pan and butter it. Then get out my biggest mixing bowl and start crumbling the cornbread. I make crumbs from the white bread and add to the bowl. Add onion, celery, 6 chopped boiled eggs,1T poultry seasoning, 1t rubbed sage, 1t salt, and 1/2t pepper. I mix it and start adding chicken stock. Taste and adjust all seasonings. Then I break 4 eggs into it and mix well. Then I pour it into the buttered pan and dot the top with bits of butter. I bake in a 350° oven for approximately 45minutes to an hour. This recipe has been in my family for 100 years. Granma said her M-I-L taught her. This would have been about 1918. She never changed anything about the recipe. The only thing I changed was doubling the recipe and baking it all at once. Been making it this way for over 50+ years.
Thanks for sharing your version, Donna! It sounds amazing!
Donna, your recipe is exactly how my mother made dressing. I love it!
Are you sure that the oven temperature is set at 450 degrees?
For the cornbread, yes. For the dressing, it’s 350.
Hi! I live in California and I can’t find “self-rising cornmeal mix” for the cornbread recipe anywhere out here. What can I do or use as a substitute? And do you have an update on more copies of your cookbook being available to buy? Thank-you! I just loooooove your recipes!! Happy Thanksgiving!! 🙂
This should help… For every 1 cup of self-rising cornmeal: Start with 1 cup of finely ground plain corn meal in a bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal and return it to the bag. To the bowl add 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together.
Unfortunately, no news yet on the book front. The wheels of publishing turn incredibly slowly.
This sounds exactly like how I make my dressing, I also add the cream of chicken soup and onions. I use leftover biscuits and the corn bread. I add the giblets cut up to the gravy and boiled eggs. D-lish.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Way to go Stacey on your reply to the Wicked Witch of the West. I don’t use soup in my dressing either, but I would have to try it before I would criticize a recipe. Please continue with your wonderful recipes. God Bless ????
Thanks so much, Christi! We do get a few bad apples, but most of the folks that hang around these parts are thoughtful and kind like you. Enjoy!
Hello! I was reading your post about tasting the dressing before it was cooked and was reminded of a friend telling me the secret to his grandmother’s squash casserole. She puts a ladle full of uncooked dressing into the squash. We have tried it and it is very yummy!
I hope you and yours are staying safe and well and that you have a very happy holiday season.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing her tip! And thanks for the kind words! I hope the same for your family, Carol!
1 where are the eggs in your dressing. My momma taught me for every cup of cornbread put in one beaten egg. Also crumbled sleeve of saltine crackers (won’t need to add salt) and a torn up piece of sandwich bread for every two cups of cornbread. The texture is thick enough to cut squares to serve but super rich and moist.
Also always put a couple teaspoons of poultry seasoning if you dont have homemade broth because boxed isn’t chickeny enough, though i can see that chicken soup would solve that. I may try that this year.
Lastly the cornbread. Do you create your own cornbread mix? Cause bought ones are more flour than cornmeal and a good southern cornbread is more cornmeal. I buy 10 lbs self rising corn meal, 5 lbs of self rising four (White Lily of course) and mix together and store in the freezer so it doesn’t spoil. Two cups mix, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup neutral flavor oil, and between 1 and 1-1/3 cups milk (varies by which cornmeal you use and how humid the day is) 400 degrees fot 20 minutes and you’ve got a great base for dressing.
There aren’t any eggs because my family has never used eggs in dressing. We like it a bit softer than you’re describing. Isn’t it fun how families can make the same dish so differently.
Do you have the recipe for the gravy that you put on your cornmeal dressing? I’ve been looking for the yellow cafeteria gravy recipe. I see yours is not yellow. But, it looks good.
Hi Ramona! So here’s what I do to make that classic yellow cafeteria style gravy: Use the attached recipe method and use boxed chicken broth along with a tablespoon of chicken flavored “Better Than Bouillon.” Just ignore the optional ingredients in the recipe. You only need butter, flour, broth, and the bouillon – maybe a little salt and some pepper. To me, it tastes just like it! https://southernbite.com/quick-and-easy-turkey-gravy/
I’m so glad you commented to the rude person that was so ugly. No one is made to read the recipes. I enjoy them so thanks and keep posting.
Thank YOU, Bertha!
This isn’t “Southern “ dressing … it sounds like cornbread soup … Where’s the SAGE ? Consult with true Southerners before making such comments please …
This is one recipe I won’t be trying anytime soon, if ever!
I’m not sure who appointed you the “Southern” police, but they sadly made a mistake. My family has been in the South for generations and this is the recipe they’ve always used. Using a particular ingredient doesn’t make a dish Southern or not. My family doesn’t like it so we don’t use it. And since it’s my blog, I can share recipes how I like them. If you don’t like it, just move right along. There’s no need for the nastiness. I should remind you that my recipes are 100% free to my readers and you certainly are showing your lack of manners. Now, be gone before someone drops a house on you, too!
Stacy—You are absolutely right! No one needs to be nasty about these wonderful recipes. I will add sage to my dressing because my family likes it. I always use all the other ingredients you listed. But mine is often”hit or miss” because I didn’t always use the right proportions of each. I’m so glad to have the recipes for both the cornbread AND the dressing. The only time I would say you aren’t being southern, is if you don’t drink sweet tea! ???? Keep up the good work.
Ha! Thanks, Sandra!
You are so right! I’ve never understood why people feel so free to express such rude comments! Like you said, just move along lol. Thank you for sharing your great recipes with us. I’ll be trying this one! Happy holidays!
Way to go! I can’t believe she was so rude about something found on YOUR post.
I can’t find cornmeal that says self-rising. Are they all self-rising? What to do?
Some folks just don’t have manners. So, all cornmeal are not self rising. But this should help…
For every 1 cup of self-rising cornmeal: Start with 1 cup of finely ground plain corn meal in a bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal and return it to the bag. To the bowl add 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together.
Love love love your response to this snotty nasty, rude and as many more discriptive words as I can think of hmm lady. What a nerve she has after you take the time and effort to share this and might I add for free. Thank you for being a great southerner. Your manners with her are certainly better than mine would have been! Thanks for the great southern recipes as well.
Thanks, Teresa. You’re so sweet to say that. I try to be as gracious as possible but it’s super frustrating to see folks complaining about something that I share for free.
Stacey I just read your comments to that mean lady! Haha my family is from the south and we have been here for many generations!! LOL sage in dressing never in my life!!! Two variations you might like though…just for fun add browned sausage and yes I know that sausage has sage! It is a fun addition. I also make oyster dressing for the few of us that loves oysters!! To each his own and be nice people! Drop a house on her made me LOL!! Asked for your book for Christmas this year!
Both of those versions sound amazing! I sure hope that you’ve been good this year! 🙂
Just loved your response to that person especially the last sentence about ( before someone drops a house on you) lol. I will have to remember that. My mom made cornbread dressing also but she never used the soups just chicken broth and she also added a touch of powdered chili pepper. The soups sound delicious. I think it’s all in where you were bought up in the south and your family recipes. I think it’s all about what you want to put in your own dressing if you have a good base recipe. Try new things, if you don’t like it don’t do it again.???? By the way I love your recipes because they are so similar to my moms.????
Thanks so much, Beverly! Comments like these are exactly why I do what I do. Thanks for your kind words!
Well said Stacey so many negative folks in this world today. Southern’s make different recipes just because it is different does not make his not southern. That was mean and all I can do is pray for folks like negative Nancy up there. You keep doing what you are doing Stacey.
It sure would be a boring world if we all did things the exact same way. Not sure why folks have to get so up in arms over cornbread dressing, but we’re just going to keep on keeping on. No time for that kind of negativity, for sure!
Good for you Stacey!
I’m glad I stumbled upon your recipe page in my email. This is the recipe I’ve been using for years, the only difference is I usually don’t boil my egg before adding it. And yes, it must be very soupy before baking or it will be so dry it will be virtually inedible without a whole log of gravy. I don’t care for sage but some of my family does, so I frequently bake two batches, one without and one with. I usually butter my baking dish well before I pour the dressing mixture in. We like [ baking hen rather than turkey. I use a gravy recipe very similar to yours and I usually chop the hen drumstick meat and add to the gravy.
Sounds great! It’s funny, my grandmother always cooks a hen too because she says it makes the best broth. Thanks for the kindness!
Deborah, I was born in Alabama 84 years ago. I’ve been eating and making this dressing recipe all my life. My great grandmother, used it, my grandmother used it, my mother used it. IT IS ABSOLUTELY SOUTHERN!
I cook my celery and onions IN my cornbread.
I LOVE this idea!
Hi Stacey, where can I find the gravy recipe you used in the picture? Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I don’t have it posted, but will certainly get it up there soon.
Try adding pecans.
Sounds like an interesting addition!!
If I forget to add the can of soup and bake thw dressing it and it’s not really moist, can I break it up and add the soup and rebake it?
I don’t see why not. 🙂
Is it possible to make the dressing the day before and heat it up right before dinner? Is there anything you’d change to make it best for doing that? I am having a hard time figuring out how to manage my oven space/time. I wish I had a second oven just once a year!
Yes, you can absolutely do that! Cover it tightly with foil and reheat then remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or so.
I am enjoying reading your recipes I am going to pick and try some of them with my dressing will let you know how it comes out
Hope y’all enjoy!!
great website love the receipes
Thanks so much!!
Hi, I absolutely love all of your recipes. They are simple and delicious. Have you ever posted a simple gravy for dressing as shown in the picture? I never have giblets as we like ham rather than turkey for Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much!
I haven’t but I’ve had two requests this year, so I’ve added it to my list. 🙂
My Tennessee grandma has some competition Stacey ! Absolutely delicious !
Oh no! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!!
This looks delicious. Can the cornbread be made in the oven? I don’t have a cast iron pan. Thanks
Absolutely! A similarly sized baking pan will work just fine.
Thank you so much! I just found my recipe for Thanksgiving! My Mother has made the dressing for as long as I can remember. She is in her 80s now and has had some health issues. Standing and chopping the celery and onions is hard on her. ( I bought her a chopper for that years ago, like I use. She would not use it!???? ) She asked me last night if I would make the dressing this year! I just read your recipe and have already added it to my grocery list for Thanksgiving. It is the one for me! I never tire of reading, trying, and pinning your recipes. I love your stories that you share, too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just got a new cast iron skillet. This is going to be my new cornbread recipe, too. I grew up eating my Papaw’s homemade cornbread. I know that this will be just as good!
So sweet, Pam! Thanks for your kind words! I sure hope you’ll enjoy this one!
I make my Stuffing with sage and either oysters or Sausage. I do stuff the turkey. Like it moist when it comes out.
🙂
This looks amazing! I’m a vegetarian though…is there anything I can sub the cream of chicken with?
You could use cream of onion, perhaps.
Cream of mushroom soup could be a vegetarian replacement.
Sure could! Great idea!
I’m confused. On Instagram you called it sweet cornbread dressing. Almost didn’t look. I don’t care for sweet cornbread anything. This looks delicious. Glad I peeked, will have to try.
That word just snuck in there. There’s no sugar in it. 🙂
When I make my dressing, I start with cornbread, cooled and crumbled. Then I add chopped scallions (only the greens), cream of celery soup, Lawry’s seasoned salt, sage, poultry seasoning, black pepper and the seasoned broth from the boiled turkey (or chicken) necks, giblets, and livers (basically, just the innards that are in the bag inside of the turkey). I ONLY mix with my hands to make sure the “love” is in it.
Sounds great!!!
How many pans of cornbread do I need to make to have the 7 cups for the dressing recipe?
It honestly depends on your cornbread recipe. I have some that yield about 6.5 cups and other that yield 8. The cornbread recipe here on this page will give you the perfect amount.
Ok thanks. I am using your recipe.
Dressing sounds great. I use my MIL’s recipe which is similar to yours “except” she used Saltine Crackers (to a 1/2 recipe of cornbread, add 1/2 sleeve crackers). She also used the cream soups, gr. onions and celery. Also, she added a couple of raw eggs and a couple of cooked eggs. Very good – I still use it today !!
By the way, I just found your site and am finding some great recipes. Thanks for sharing with us !!
Hi Sharon! That sounds great! Welcome, welcome! I hope you’ll find lots here you enjoy!
My mother cooked the cornbread a day ahead of preparation. She used onions, celery, dried sage to taste, salt and pepper, beaten eggs. She used chicken broth; in those days or some turkey broth. it was unheard of to use any kind of cream of soup in the mixture. She felt that cooking the cornbread the day before helped it to dry out some. On occasion, she would use some stale bread if there was a shortage of the cornbread. I do recall that when she poured it into the baking dish, it was a little soupy, but then congealed when it was cooked. We referred to it as ‘dressing’ because it was not ‘stuffed’ into the turkey. (This would have been in the 1950’s)
Yes! We often use turkey broth depending on the cooking method.
Very much like my Gma’s. She used to complain about not getting “good” sage anymore! She would also freeze any leftover biscuits (if any) and the heels of bread. No boiled eggs or cream of anything soup. She wanted the juices from the Turkey.
I recently read a recipe that added celery and onions to the cornbread batter before cooking it. I have not tried it, but sounds like it would add extra flavor.
I just recently heard of that too. Personally, I think it’s genius!
We always had Italian Dressing, that is until I tasted some incredible cornbread dressing at my boyfriends house and spent many years trying to make it, she wouldn’t share her recipe, so practice makes perfect. Now we make both and we have always made the cornbread the day before and precooked in butter the celery and onions and then just added butter and veges to cornbread. I love your recipes and asked for your cookbook for my birthday next month. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Cheryl! And happy early birthday!!
Your recipe is much like mine. I do add the celery precooked with the onion. I do add about 1/3 cup melted butter in with my broth for a touch of added flavor. Sometimes I will add some finely shredded chicken to my dressing when I cook it to get homemade broth. Don’t forget the gravy and cranberry sauce to go with it.
Camden folks think alike! Ours is basically the same recipe with a few differences. A bit though that travel from a friend’s mom is to let the cornbread cool completely before mixing or the dressing is “gummy”! I’m enjoying your recipes a lot!
Thanks, Judy! Yes, I prefer making my cornbread the day before.
Perfect!! (Yes – no boxed stuffing!!!)
You know we have to have our dressing! 🙂
Hi Mary Penton Happy Thanksgiving! Penton is not a common name and I always looking for relatives because I’m a Penton too.
My granny was a penton , her daddy was Robert penton from jay Florida
Hi Stacey,
My dressing is like my mothers,,a half cornbread and half bread cubes, I use chopped onion ,green pepper chopped and a few tender ribs of celery sauteed in butter just until soft. Then they go in to the pan of cornbread and bread cubes. A boiled egg is chopped up and it goes into it also. The the seasoning of poultry seasoning is sprinkled in until the taste is right and then the chicken broth goes in and every thing is stirred to blend. Then it is baked until the edges and top are slightly toasted and crunchy,
Sounds great, Julia! 🙂
That’s my families as well, except we add more boiled eggs, usually 3 or 4, and we add 3-4 beaten raw eggs for both richness, and to help it hold together. We add both sage AND poultry seasoning to taste. (About 2x as much poultry seasoning as sage.) But, I love dressing so I sure as heck wouldn’t turn down either yours or Stacey’s dressing. For sure!!
I have a recipe box full of your wonderful recipes and love them all. The cornbread dressing sounds so good with the two soups instead of chicken broth, which is what I usually use. I add poultry and sage to my recipe, but only because we like it. Can’t wait to try this new recipe with the soups.
Hope it turns out great for you!