Granny’s Cornbread Dressing
My Granny’s cornbread dressing has been one of my family’s Thanksgiving traditions my entire life, actually even before I was born. Growing up, making the dressing was a group effort. My mom made the cornbread. My Dad chopped and sauteed the onion and celery. Somehow the eggs were boiled then it all got mixed together. I was always the official taste tester. We never measured anything.
My Granny’s dressing is not stuffing. My family is southern and stuffing is not something we’ve ever done. What’s the difference?. Stuffing goes inside the bird and dressing is cooked in a pan. Plus, stuffing can contain a lot of things, sausage, cranberries, apples, bread, nuts, mushrooms, and…I’m not really sure what else, but dressing is usually just seasonings, onion, celery, and cornbread.
The last few years, my mother-in-law makes the turkey and does stuffing. We love leftovers so I also make an additional pan of dressing. Unlike my parents, I like measuring ingredients. It’s hard for me to just throw things together plus when cooking for a crowd, I want it to be perfect.
I boil chicken to add to the dressing. This isn’t a necessary step but we like a little meat in the dressing. You could also boil turkey or bake chicken. One of the reasons I boil the chicken is to use a little of the broth in the dressing. By adding meat, it also makes a great one-dish meal. So, if you are going to add chicken, cook it early so the chicken has time to cool.
For Thanksgiving, I make a huge pan. I start with 6 packages of cornbread mix. I don’t use it all in the dressing. Of course, I have to have a piece of cornbread when it comes out of the oven. I probably only use 5 packages but I like to have extra just in case something goes wrong.
What goes in my Granny’s Cornbread Dressing?
You want to make sure you use yellow cornbread mix and NOT sweet yellow or Jiffy. I made this mistake my first year making the dressing on my own.
To make Thanksgiving day easier, I cook my cornbread the night before. It’s just easier to manage the day plus it has a little more structure but you could make it Thanksgiving morning. You can also chop your onion and celery the night before and store in the frig plus boil your eggs. If you’re using fresh eggs, check out my blog on steaming fresh eggs.
When putting the dressing together, I go by the way it looks. It’s all about ratios but I think you will find these measurements good.
- 3 packages cornbread mix, prepared
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 celery ribs (a generous cup)
- 3 boiled eggs, diced
- 3-6 T of sage
- 1-2 T salt
- 1-2 T pepper
- 32-64 oz of chicken broth
- ¼ C butter
Every time I make my Granny’s cornbread dressing I can hear my Nanny (my Dad’s Mom) say, “Honey, be careful with the sage. It really strikes through.” It’s true. The sage can be overpowering if you add too much.
I’m sure everyone at some point has had the dressing that’s green from the sage and barely edible. I start with 3 tablespoons then taste and add a little more gradually if needed. I think 4 tablespoons is perfect for this recipe but it really is a personal preference. Just remember, when it cooks, it really strikes through.
When growing up, we did turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, we go to my in-law’s for prime rib on Christmas day. Yum!
I love the holidays but Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. Now, the kids bring a dish to dinner and show up early to help cook. I love spending time with them in the kitchen. It reminds me of cooking with my parents.
We eat a late lunch, sit around visiting and watching the Cowboy game. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Granny’s Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 packages yellow cornbread mix prepared
- 4 ribs celery diced
- 1 small onion
- 1/4 Cup butter
- 3 Eggs Boiled, diced
- 1-2 tbsp Pepper
- 1-2 tbsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Sage
- 32-64 ounces Chicken Stock
Instructions
- Prepare cornbread mix per package instructions. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil Eggs. Set aside.
- Saute onion and celery in butter until tender.
- In a large bowl (I use the aluminum pan that I'm cooking the dressing in), crumble cornbread.
- Mix in the onion and celery.
- Peel eggs, dice, and add to the mixture.
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and sage on top of dressing. Mix well.
- If you are adding chicken or turkey, add now and stir.
- Add 32 ounces of chicken broth and stir. Add more chicken broth as necessary. You want it to be moist but not soupy.
- Once it's at the right consistency, place the prepared dish in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
