Southern Culinary Arts: Old-Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing: Step by Step
By habee
Culinary arts - Southern food
Welcome to my online cooking school for American recipes! Today's online cooking classes involve Southern food favorites - cornbread and Southern cornbread dressing. This recipe is an integral part of Southern culinary arts. You don't have to attend culinary school to learn to make it, however, because I've created my own culinary classes online.
This is an old recipe for real old-fashioned Southern cornbread dressing – the dressing my mother and grandmother always made at Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you’re searching for a low-calorie or low-fat recipe, THIS AIN’T IT! This is one of those twice-a-year splurges, full of fat and calories, and rich in savory, tantalizing tastes and aromas - one of the best American recipes of all.
The first thing you need to do is to make your cornbread. You’ll need an old-fashioned 12-inch iron skillet to get the right crust. Oil the skillet with about ¼ cup of vegetable oil. I like to use corn oil for this. Bake it at 400 degrees until it’s good and hot. You can also do this on the stove top on high for 2-3 minutes. This will make your cornbread crustier. While the skillet is baking, mix your cornbread. DO NOT use packaged cornbread mix. That's one of my online cooking school no-no's!
Southern Cornbread Recipe
You’ll need:
2 cups self-rising buttermilk cornmeal
2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
Pepper to taste
2 beaten eggs
¼ cup of vegetable oil
3 ½ or 4 cups whole buttermilk
Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix the eggs, buttermilk, and oil together in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients slowly, stirring as you do so. Remove the skillet from the heat and tilt it around to coat the sides with the oil. Add the cornbread mixture and bake at 400 degrees until nice and golden brown – about 50 minutes.
Now, for the dressing. You’ll need to make your chicken stock first. Sure, you can use canned chicken broth, but it won’t be nearly as good! You’ll need about 7 or 8 cups of stock for the dressing. From my experience, the best, richest stock is made from chicken backs. Place 5 or 6 backs in 10 cups of water. Add salt and pepper and boil, covered, until chicken is done. I always add a little granulated chicken bouillon to my stock for even more flavor. When the stock is done, let it cool. Remove any meat and discard the skin and bones.
Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe
Crumble your cornbread into a greased metal casserole pan. Don’t use pyrex – most of it is safe to only 350 degrees, and I cook my dressing at 400 degrees. I like a crusty outside and a soft inside.
Chop a large onion and sauté it with ½-one cup of diced celery in ¼ cup of real butter. Cook until soft. Add the entire ingredients of the pan to the cornbread crumbs, butter and all.
Now add your stock. Start off with 6 cups. Mix it well with the other ingredients and let it rest for 10 minutes. Add another cup of stock and mix well. Also, add the chicken meat you got from the backs. This will add extra flavor to your dressing.
Beat two large eggs and add to the mixture. Mix well again.
Add two teaspoons of poultry seasoning, one teaspoon sage, one teaspoon of salt, and ½-one teaspoon black pepper, depending on your taste preference.
You don’t want your dressing mix to be too stiff. If it is, add more stock or canned chicken broth. If it gets too soupy, don’t panic. Just add some crushed saltine crackers to the mix.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 40-50 minutes. The edges should be brown, but the dressing should be soft.
To save time, you can make your cornbread ahead of time and freeze it in an air-tight bag. Just thaw it before making your cornbread dressing.
If you have any stock left over, use it for your giblet gravy or freeze it for soups, rice, or chicken and dumplings.
Hope you enjoy my Southern cornbread dressing!!
For more entries in the Southern culinary arts and my online cooking school, click the links below.
More tips for cooking, the holidays, and entertaining:
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Please rate my dressing!
Comments
It sound so good but I don't think I will get the ingredience in the UK. Also I am a little bit buffled ab out buttermilk cornmeal? If you could tell me is there such a thing? Thank you.
Sounds good to me too, but like 'Hello, hello I am from the UK and have never heard of 'Buttermilk Cornmeal.' I presume it might be a type of flour that could be substituted with something else available to us in Europe.
Could you help us out Habee and then we can have a go!!!
As always fantastic hubs.
Jean
No problem - just use regular self-rising corn meal instead.
Thanks for reading!
Don't have time to make along comment, have to find food fast after seeing that dish above!:
This is a great recipe...thanks for sharing. Sounds like I need to wear pants with an adjustable waistband...lol.
Let me know what you think of my recipe collection on www.thanksgivingturkey-recipes.com
Thanks! I'll check it out!
This is a great recipe. Thanks
You're welcome! Thanks for visiting!
Congratulation, you are on the number one Hub Pages.
Huh? What's that??
This sounds sooo good. Nothing like true southern cookin!
So true! That's it's called the "heart attack belt"! Thanks for visiting!
For our UK friends: when we say cornmeal you need to think maize meal or polenta. To make "habee"'s dressing use two parts maize meal and one part flour (if you can't get self-rising flour, you can use regular flour but check the internet for the additions you will need to use like salt & baking powder). Hope this works. I haven't tried to make it with maize meal but I'm sure it will work.
Thanks, Rope, for adding that! I had no idea about the maize meal.
What a wonderful southern recipe! Thanks for the step by step!
You're more than welcome, Suzanne! Hope you give it a try. Thanks for reading!
Hi,
Want you to know this is the best dressing...I too am a Ga Girl from Augusta,but now live in Missouri...I still cook Southern and my in-laws love it...They request this dressing from me to do for our Thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers.Your site is cool and I like it... You go Ga Girl!!!!
Yay! Another GA girl here on HP! Great to meet ya, and thanks for visiting!
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Habee, This makes for terrific stuffing! I can tell you do cook Southern. Thank you for sharing, Blessings
Thanks, Deborrah! Yep, I cook Southern and eat Southern - that's why I'm fat. lol
Hey Habee, nice recipe ya! I simply love corns and so do my gf :) thanks for shring sweetheart :)
Hey Habee, nice recipe ya! I simply love corns and so do my gf :) thanks for shring sweetheart :)
Thanks, Soci and Vizey. Nice of you to read and comment!
Your words are so good.My pleasure to introduce uggs to you.
Wow, this sounds absolutely wonderful. I will have to try this, thanks!
Glad you stopped by, Melbel!
hmmm...it looks spicy thanks dear for your great recipe are you a Sheff?...
Yum! I just love southern cooking and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I'll have a good excuse to make this even if it has real butter!
Thanks habee, great hub. I'm new here and I'm learning from reading other's hubs. I especially like the hyper-links to more of your hubs.
Nope, Khmoshin, just a good ol' Southern cook! Thanks for reading!
Hi, Laura! Nice to meet you, and thanks for visiting!
Awesome - need to make some cornbread for my stuffing - getting close! Great recipe.
Thanks, Akirch! Good to see you!
This is a wonderful dish..thanks for sharing
It really is wonderful, Sweetie. I look forward to the couple of times a year I make it. Thanks for visiting!
Sounds delicious! I usually just make the boxed stuff...
I'm Loving it...i will try this. The Boxed stuff is just so sweet. Cant wait for the Family to try Thursday. Thanks
Naomi - toss that boxed stuff in the trash! Thanks for reading.
Divamom, you'll like this SO much better. Let me know how it turns out. And thanks for stopping by!
Sounds woniful, woniful! I always make the dressing but it somehow never turns out quite right it's usually gummy, so "shhhhh" this year I decided to turn to my hubfamily for help. you won't tell, will ya? I'll letcha know how it turns out.
Love ya, Johnny
Hi, Johnboy. Your secret is safe with me! Happy Thanksgiving!
That sounds way better than the standard brown gravy my Mom makes.
Baked turkey is great, smoked turkey is amazingly wonderful, but deep-fried turkey is super-dooper delicious! I'm almost ashamed to admit this, bu
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This is really an interesting recipe. With all the healthy tips it has to offer like low fat recipe, my family would be very interested much on this,and for sure they'll really like it..I think you can put up your own business, a restaurant maybe, It would a real instant money for you.I think you have the passion and love for cooking.I hope you continue to share your knowledge about cooking and your recipes.
Hi, Marty. Try it - you'll like it! Thanks for reading!
Motorola, I agree with you 110%!! Thanks for visiting!
Stiramesh, Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.
MArrie, Thanks for the support and for reading.
Wow, sounds delicious and well satisfying we will say. Okay, filling, but who cares at this time of year. Thanks for writng this article.
Yep, it's not exactly health food, but it is yummy! Thanks for reading!
I'll have to see if my wife can try and make it.
I just chopped all my onions. I made my cornbread last night. Tomorrow I'll cook the chicken backs and put everything together, then let it sit in the fridge overnight for the flavors to mingle. Thursday morning, I'll bake it.
Thanks for reading!
Hi...
Thank you for sharing such a nice recipe. I would love this item. I am giving a party to my friends this weekend at my farmhouse. I was wondering about some new item to treat my friends with. I will surely try this and let you know.
This looks excellent! Being from South Texas myself, I love southern cookin', and can't wait to try this receipe! Thanks! :)
So glad to find this hub...this recipe is exactly what I was looking for!
If you are making stock from scratch then why use bullion cube? Sounds great. Just asking. Oh! by the way I am new to the hub but look for my tomato sandwich.
Great, Fete! I'm sure it will be a hit!
Mjj - noting like Southern cookin', is there? Thanks for reading.
Anna, let me know how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by!
Owl, sometimes I add a little "extra" flavor to the stock to make it richer. Welcome to HP!
This is great. Love cooking real good food so will be trying this out this coming weekend with a few friends. You may want to check this out.
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great
Thanks, Kiwi and Zuroc for reading and commenting!
i feel hungry
Sorry I made you hungry, but I'm glad you took time to read the hub!
Wow, can I come over to your house for dinner some time? I love southern cook'in!!
You sure can! You'd love playing with my Great Danes.
I'm not surprised this hub earned a 100. Just looking at that photo is enough to make my mouth water...
Lol! I wish I had some of that food right now - I don't want to cook dinner tonight! Thanks so much for visiting.
That turkey is making me hungry.
Nice hub.
Albert
Hi, Albert. Nice pic! lol. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment!
I like it,thank you for sharing.www.6inchboot.com
This was a great dish I tried for my wifey. She loved it. I will be adding this to my arsenal of side dishes. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, Jason. I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
I haven't ever heard of this kind of cornbread before, but it sure sounds like I should give it a try. Thanks for the receipe
Kathy, try it - you'll love it! My husband can make a meal with cornbread and a big glass of milk! Thanks for reading!
Oh! my mom do like that)
Hey, hey, Ha Bee, don't sting me for saying so but I put your recipe up against my Indian Fry bread today at lunch. My fry bread won, it was close and it cost me a lot to get all the judges drunk, but I am counting it as a win never the less. Loved your recipe, don't tell anyone. Your fan Bearclaw
Thanks for reading, Jeffrey. Love your pic!
OK, Bear, I guess we'll have to have a rematch since you cheated with the booze!! So what's it goona be - fried shrimp? Hushpuppies? Biscuits?
Biscuits Babe, of course. I publish my Buttermilk recipe this week!
Love your hubs. Bearclaw
Wouldn't it be funny if we use the same biscuit recipe?? I wish I could find Mom's recipe for her angel biscuits. They were the best I've ever had. But knowing her, she prolly didn't even use a recipe!
Im australian and havent tried much of the USA foods, except those beans, refried beans, which we actually love. So Ill try this one and see if I can make it right.
We make something not completely dissimilar, with flour and water, but thats more for outback cooking.. over an open fire called damper..
and congratulations, on the awards... if I am not mistaken.
Thanks, Salt - for reading, commenting, and for the congrats!
Thanks for this link-I must have missed it before...sounds scrumputous!
Oh, Lorlie - it'll make you slap your grandma! lol! Thanks for visiting!
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Got it bookmarked for later! Sounds delicious Habee!
It is really awesome, Michael!
It sounds so good.
Kay, it is awesome! Thanks for reading!
I haven't read my first Hubber of the week in a while. Hope you're doing well. This recipe sounds delish!
What's a "first hubber of the week"? Glad you visited!
Oh how did I ever miss this? Cornbread is my all time favorite thing to eat and I make a killer cornbread. Your recipe aint bad. The only way to bake it is in cast iron! I have a collection of the good stuff, love the corncob pans...for corn bread. Anyway I make a double batch of cornbread because I start eating it fresh out of the oven after the stick of REAL butter I melt on the top has dissapeared man oh man I'm hungry for corn bread now...
Katie, I'm ready for some good ol' Southern cornbread dressing!
thanks for all the wonderful Dixie-fied recipes...you make your cornbread much like my grandmother did; she taught me when I was 16 and I still have her cast-iron skillet (for cornbread only!)...did I miss your recipe for dressing?
Joe, the dressing recipe is in the hub!
Sonds fantastic I can't wait to ty some good American soul food!
Hi habee, my mom made the best dressing ever. She used a little white bag. I know she had to add flour. But not sure about the baking powder. Last night, I came home with two things--before I read this---Quaker yellow corn meal, and I guess what you're talking about--ez bake white self rising cornmeal mix. You only have to add egg oil and milk. The other you have to add flour, baking powder, eggs, etc. So the ez bake is not good.....
I have the cast iron skillet! I make chicken for my dogs--I boil the breasts, and save it and then use it again, and again all week. So I have broth from that I will use. There was another recipe that had way more onions than yours calls for, and it seemed ridiculous, so I am following yours. My sister helped me with the dressing before, and it was awesome. Anyway, I guess you're saying that I use the yellow corn meal? It is just yellow corn meal period! Thank you for your help!
Thanks, Craig!
Karen, use the self-rising cornmeal - not a cornbread mix. Happy Thanksgiving!
Just getting ready to make my Thanksgiving Dinnr, will use your recipe.
I like the comments on Southern culinary arts that you have discussed in your blog. All the facts are quite knowledgeable and excellent.
I will have to try this recipe next time, thanks for the share. :)
SJKSJK, hope it turned out great - mine did!
Thanks a bunch, Payday!
Timon, you're very welcome!
Karen 3 weeks ago
Hi habee, my mom made the best dressing ever. She used a little white bag. I know she had to add flour. But not sure about the baking powder. Last night, I came home with two things--before I read this---Quaker yellow corn meal, and I guess what you're talking about--ez bake white self rising cornmeal mix. You only have to add egg oil and milk. The other you have to add flour, baking powder, eggs, etc. So the ez bake is not good.....
I have the cast iron skillet! I make chicken for my dogs--I boil the breasts, and save it and then use it again, and again all week. So I have broth from that I will use. There was another recipe that had way more onions than yours calls for, and it seemed ridiculous, so I am following yours. My sister helped me with the dressing before, and it was awesome. Anyway, I guess you're saying that I use the yellow corn meal? It is just yellow corn meal period! Thank you for your help!
Lati, you need self rising cornmeal - or you can add a little baking powder to regular cornmeal.
What a great side dish for my BBQ Ribs! It made my mouth water. I'm going to try this recipe, thanks for sharing it.
Hope you like it, Cloverleaf!
did you only make one pan of cornbread? I have a big family so I need a to make two pans of cornbread then double on the dressing?
I want to try your real old fashioned southern cornbread dressing. It says to use 2 cups of SELF-RISING BUTTERMILK CORNMEAL. I cannot find this anywhere. Is this a mix or what. I have seen Martha White's self-rising cornbread mix,but it did not included buttermilk. Can I use this. Please respond because I want to make for Thanksgiving. Thank you kindly.
nice.
I made this dish for Thanksgiving & Christmas & it was delicious!!! Thanks for sharing
I just found you on here. I'm from Tennessee. I make almost the same recipe as you. I use the basic cornbread and the iron skillet, but I use variations of ingredients.
Nice informative hub.
Hmrjmr1 2 years ago
As always habee some more good southern cookin'! Thanks