Mamaw’s Cornbread Dressing

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🥣 Mamaw’s Cornbread Dressing

Serves: 10–12

Prep: 20 minutes • Cook: 45–55 minutes

(Make your cornbread the day before, or at least a few hours ahead.)

⭐ INGREDIENTS

Cornbread (Mamaw style)

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted bacon grease

(Or use your favorite cast-iron cornbread recipe.)

Dressing Mixture

  • 6 cups crumbled day-old cornbread
  • 2 cups crumbled white sandwich bread or biscuits (optional but traditional)
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 2–3 celery ribs, finely diced
  • 4–5 cups chicken broth (start with 4; add more if needed)
  • 2–3 eggs, beaten
  • 1–2 tsp rubbed sage (adjust to taste)
  • ½–1 tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt (optional—depends on broth)
  • 2–3 tbsp butter, melted (for drizzling on top)

🧑‍🍳 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the Cornbread (if not already made)

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
  2. Heat a greased cast-iron skillet in the oven while mixing the batter.
  3. Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and oil/grease.
  5. Pour into hot skillet and bake 20–25 minutes.
  6. Let cool completely, then crumble into a bowl.
    • Let it dry out a bit—Mamaw always said “stale is better.”

2. Sauté the Vegetables

In a skillet, sauté the onion and celery in a bit of butter until soft (5–7 minutes).
Add to the bowl of crumbled breads.

3. Combine Everything

To the bowl of cornbread + bread, add:

  • sautéed onion/celery
  • sage
  • pepper
  • beaten eggs

Pour in 4 cups chicken broth, mix gently, and let it soak.
Add more broth until the texture is:

👉 Very moist, almost like thick oatmeal.
(A dry mixture will bake into dry dressing.)

Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar.
  3. Pour in the dressing mixture evenly.
  4. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
  5. Bake 45–55 minutes, or until:
    • the top is lightly browned
    • the center is set but still very moist

Mamaw’s dressing is never dry or crumbly—it should be soft inside.

🍽️ How Mamaw Served It

  • With giblet gravy
  • With turkey or chicken
  • With cranberry sauce
  • Warm from the oven (leftovers are even better)

💛 Optional Southern Add-Ins

  • 1–2 boiled eggs, chopped
  • ½–1 cup cooked shredded chicken
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup (for extra moisture)
  • A pinch of poultry seasoning along with sage

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