Catherine's Cornbread Dressing

I've tried on quite a few occasions to "gussy up" my family's cornbread dressing recipe. All of the attempts have ended with subpar results and little to no fanfare, so I keep coming back to the classic. Of course the secret to this rich Southern side dish is the butter. But is that really a secret? This version yields an amazingly moist dressing just begging to be drenched in bourbon gravy.

Recipe courtesy Nealey Dozier

Photo: Catherine's Cornbread Dressing

TOTAL TIME: 2 hr 15 min
Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 35 min
 
YIELD: 8 servings
LEVEL: Easy

ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups finely chopped celery
  • 2 cups finely chopped onion (about 2 medium-sized onions)
  • 5 cups day-old crumbled cornbread, recipe follows
  • 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix, such as Pepperidge Farm
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh sage
  • 4 cups turkey or chicken stock, plus more as needed (preferably homemade)
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
SKILLET CORNBREAD:
  • 1/2 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the celery and onion until soft and translucent, 10 to12 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the celery, onion, cornbread, stuffing mix, and sage. Stir in the chicken stock and eggs and mix until completely combined. Season with a few grinds of black pepper. The mixture should be fairly soupy. Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until the dressing is set and golden brown, 45 minutes to an hour.

Cook's Note: The skillet cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance. The dressing can be assembled the day before and baked on the day of serving.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cast-iron skillet and place in the oven to heat while mixing the batter.

In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter together until combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (it's okay if it's a little lumpy). Pour the batter into the hot cast-iron skillet and bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Immediately remove the cornbread from the skillet and allow to cool. The cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance when using for the dressing. Store until needed, then crumble and follow instructions for the dressing.

If enjoying the cornbread immediately (not for the dressing recipe), remove the cornbread from the oven, invert it onto a large plate, and then flip it once more so it is right side up. Slice into wedges and serve warm with lots of butter.

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  • on November 23, 2011

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    I modified this recipe a little. I added bacon; rendered it then sauteed the veggies in the bacon grease. I decreased the butter by half and added carrots to the veggie mix. I also seasoned my veggies with salt and pepper. I tasted the stuffing before adding the eggs to check for seasoning. It was delish! I cooked it in a skillet so it was a one-pan side dish. Absolutely excellent!!!

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