Homemade Cornbread Dressing Recipe
This homemade cornbread dressing is a Southern style side dish I make with crumbled cornbread, sauteed vegetables, and a creamy chicken veloute. It is savory, comforting, and the perfect addition to any holiday table.
Ingredients
- 1 cornbread recipe
- 6 dinner rolls or biscuits, cut into 1” cubes
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 peeled and small diced small to medium-size yellow onions
- 3 small-diced celery stalks
- 1 ½ tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 cups chicken velouté
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 whisked large eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°.
- Crumble the cornbread using your fingers until it breaks apart into very small pieces. Transfer to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper along with the cubed rolls and spread out.
- Bake in the oven at 300° for 30 minutes to help dry it out.
- In the meantime, add the butter to a large frying pan over low to medium heat and sweat the onions and celery for about 10 to 12 minutes while occasionally stirring. It’s ok if they get a little brown. Set aside once done.
- When the bread is done drying out a bit, add it to a large bowl along with the cooked vegetables, poultry seasoning, velouté, chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and gently mix until combined. Be sure to taste it to see if you need any more salt and pepper.
- Pour in the whisked eggs and again gently mix them together until it is combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 13x9 casserole dish, cover it, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve.
Notes
The most important thing I can tell you about cornbread dressing is to season and taste it before you add the eggs. Once the raw eggs go in, you cannot taste it anymore. I always say season once, taste twice. Season it, taste it, then season it again if you need to. That step alone is the difference between dressing that is perfectly seasoned and dressing that is flat.
No sugar in the cornbread: I cannot stress this enough. The cornbread for this recipe should not have any sugar in it. Sweet cornbread will throw off the entire flavor profile of the dressing.
Add stock gradually: I pour in the chicken stock about a cup at a time and mix between additions. If you add it all at once, the mixture gets soggy and waterlogged. You want it moist but not dripping wet.
Use stale bread: The older the bread, the better it absorbs the liquid. If your cornbread and rolls are fresh, drying them in the oven is essential.
Add protein: You can stir in cooked pork sausage, chorizo, shredded turkey, shredded chicken, or sauteed mushrooms before adding the eggs for a heartier version.
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 hour ahead of time, just keep it covered and warm at low temperatures in the oven until ready to serve.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of dressing to a casserole dish or pan, drizzle on ¼ to 1/3 cup of chicken stock, and cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 345mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg