What would Thanksgiving be without dressing? I think it would be just another day. Hands down, the dressing is my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving! It is something I look forward to all year.
Dressing, or stuffing as some people call it, can really spark a debate among people. Different parts of the country have different versions of dressing. I realize I live in Illinois, but I consider our part of the state very Southern, especially when it comes to food.
This recipe is a very basic version of dressing. You won’t find any sausage or fruit in this recipe. The base of it is a mix of cornbread and regular bread. If you don’t care for the mix, you could use all of whichever bread you prefer. I think the mix gives it a nice texture though.
You will need to make your cornbread ahead of time and let the regular bread dry out. I like to let the bread dry out a few days ahead of time. Since we don’t use our dining room on a daily basis, I usually lay it on sheet pans and let it dry in there.
Dressing really gets its flavor from the broth. If at all possible I like to use the broth from cooking a whole turkey. If you are not cooking a turkey, I would suggest making up some good rich chicken broth for this recipe. You are going to need some fat to achieve the flavor and canned broth just doesn’t have enough.
I like to prep all of the different components of dressing ahead of time. This will make assembling it on Thanksgiving a breeze.
You are going to saute your veggies and then just start combining the rest of the ingredients. I add a little broth at a time until it gets to the right consistency. All that’s left is to pour it into the pan and pop it in the oven.
Just thinking about this dressing has me wishing Thanksgiving was tomorrow. Give this version a try, you won’t regret it!
Dressing
You will find this version of the Thanksgiving staple so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 5 c cornbread, dried and crumbled
- 5 c dried bread, cubed
- 1 c onion
- 1 c celery
- 1/2 c butter
- 2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 c chicken broth
- 2 eggs
Instructions
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Make cornbread and dry bread cubes out a few days before making dressing.
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Saute onion and celery in butter until onions are translucent and celery is softened.
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In a large mixing bowl combine bread, cornbread and sauteed vegetables.
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Start adding chicken broth a cup or so at a time allowing bread mixture to absorb liquid at first. As you add more of the broth the mixture will become soupy. Continue adding broth until it reaches a fairly thin consistency. There should still be some lumps but not huge ones. Use a potato masher if needed to help with large lumps.
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Season with pepper and sage.
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Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and mix into the bread mixture.
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Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and pour dressing in. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. You want the edges to be nice and brown but you don't want the rest of the pan to be dry.