30Boltwood’s Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
This is the kind of stuffing I grew up eating in the south. I hope this will be a little something different for you to try this holiday season!
— Michael Adams, Chef | 30Boltwood
Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 45 min | Yield: About 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks (ribs) of celery, chopped
6 cups of cooked, crumbled stale cornbread
6 cups of dry, toasted bread, crumbled (sliced bread, leftover biscuits or rolls)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning , or to taste, optional
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste,
1 teaspoon of sage (or Bell's seasoning), or to taste, optional
1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1 cup of turkey gravy (canned is fine)
4 to 6 cups of turkey or chicken broth or stock, more or less
4 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and celery; add the salt, Cajun seasoning, pepper, sage and poultry seasoning. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine the crumbled cornbread and bread into a large bowl. Add sauteed veggies, scraping out skillet; add the gravy and 4 cups of the stock. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Add the beaten eggs; gently toss. Add more of the broth as needed, taking care not to make the dressing too soupy. Dressing should be the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Lightly spoon into the casserole dish, but do not pack down. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. For a moister stuffing, baked covered. For a drier stuffing with a crunchy top, bake uncovered.
Cook's Notes: Make cornbread a day or two ahead when possible and allow it to go stale.