Holiday Tradition: Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
If there is one dish that holds the key to a truly unforgettable holiday feast or traditional Sunday dinner, it is Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing. This dish is far from your ordinary, dry boxed stuffing. In fact, this classic Southern masterpiece is made from scratch using crumbled, golden cornbread, savory herbs, and plenty of rich broth.
Baked until the top is beautifully golden-brown and crisp while the inside stays incredibly moist and savory, it is the ultimate comfort food tradition. Moreover, it is a deeply nostalgic, crowd-pleasing side dish. This dish brings the warm, cozy feeling of Grandma’s kitchen straight to your family table!
For a true old-fashioned holiday feast, follow up this savory dressing with a big slice of Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie
Why You’ll Love Grandma’s Cornbread Dressing
The Ultimate Southern Tradition: This recipe captures the authentic, old-school flavor of a true scratch-made holiday dressing. It is a flavor that has been passed down through generations.
Incredibly Moist and Flavorful: By using a generous amount of rich, seasoned broth and fresh aromatics, this dressing stays perfectly tender on the inside without ever turning gummy.
The Perfect Make-Ahead Side: You can easily prep the cornbread and mix the ingredients the day before. Then, you have nothing to do but pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat!
Grandma’s Special Tips for the Perfect Cornbread Dressing
Start with Stale Cornbread: For the absolute best texture, bake your cornbread a day or two in advance and let it sit out to get a little dry and stale. Otherwise, if it’s too fresh and moist when you crumble it, it will absorb too much broth. As a result, it will turn mushy instead of holding that beautiful, traditional texture.
Don’t Skimp on the “Holy Trinity”: Grandma always insisted on slowly sautéing a generous amount of finely diced onions and celery in real butter before folding them into the cornbread. Doing this creates the flavor foundation. This is what makes the dressing taste truly homemade.
The Pour-and-Test Rule: When adding your broth, pour it in gradually. You want the mixture to look almost like a thick soup or a wet batter before it goes into the oven. Don’t be afraid if it looks a little too wet—the cornbread will soak up that beautiful moisture as it bakes. As a result, this will leave you with a perfectly juicy, never-dry finish!
Holiday Tradition: Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
- 2 large bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 large spoon
- 1 wire rack
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup canola oil
Dressing
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tsp poultry seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and flour.
- In another bowl whisk the buttermilk and eggs.
- Pour oil into a skillet, and place the skillet in the oven for about 4 minutes.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until it is just moistened.
- Carefully tilt and rotate the skillet, to coat the bottom with the oil. Then add batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Reduce the oven setting to 350°.
- For the dressing, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the celery and onion. Cook and stir about 4 to 6 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from the heat. Coarsely crumble the cornbread into the skillet, toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, seasonings, and condensed soup. Stir into the bread mixture. Stir in the broth.
- Transfer to a greased 13×9 inch baking dish. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until the dressing is lightly brown.
Nutrition
We Want to Hear From You!
Are you ready to fill your entire home with the incredible, comforting aroma of fresh sage, buttery onions, and golden cornbread? If so, grab your favorite baking dish. Next, whip up a batch of cornbread. Finally, let’s get this classic baking!
If Grandma’s cornbread dressing brought back sweet holiday memories to your table, please leave a comment down below and give this recipe a star rating—it always makes my day to hear from you! Don’t forget to hit that share button and pin this recipe to your favorite Thanksgiving, holiday, and Southern comfort food boards on Pinterest so you always have it ready.
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