I am getting really excited about Thanksgiving, and believe it or not it is not just because of the food. This year we are doing something that I have always wanted to do on Thanksgiving. Instead of spending the entire day focused on gluttony we are planning to focus on others for a bit and serve at a local mission. I pray that after serving those in need we have a new appreciation for the many abundant blessings that the Lord has given us.
Although I am most excited about serving, I am still looking forward to indulging in the annual yummies. You may have seen on Facebook that I recently shared that my grandmother’s cornbread dressing was my favorite Thanksgiving dish. It is the best I have ever had and think it is the best in the world. Since there is still time for some last minute grocery shopping I thought I would share this treasured Thanksgiving recipe. Sorry there are no photos. I will snap some on Thursday and add them to the post.
This recipes easily feeds 4-6 people, but when all the family is together we double it.
Buon Appetito!
Cornbread Dressing
- Prep Time : cornbread 15, dressing 30 minutes
- Cook Time : cornbread 25, dressing 30-45 minutes
- Yield : 6 servings
Ingredients
- Buttermilk cornbread:
- yellow cornmeal - 1 cup
- all purpose flour - 1 cup
- baking soda - 3/4 tsp.
- baking powder - 2 tsp.
- salt - 1 1/2 tsp.
- ground pepper - 3/4 tsp.
- egg, lightly beaten - 1
- buttermilk - 1 1/2 cup
- butter or bacon fat - 2 Tbsp.
- Cornbread Dressing:
- buttermilk cornbread, crumbled
- water chestnuts - 1 can
- cream of chicken soup - 3 cans
- butter - 1/2 cup
- large onion, chopped - 1
- chopped celery - 1 cup
- saltine crackers, crushed - 2 sleeves
- sage to taste - I usually use about 1/2 a .62 ounce container
- chicken broth (optional) - 1/2 cup
Instructions
Buttermilk Cornbread
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Combine egg and buttermilk; add them to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Heat butter in pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Tilt pan to coat. Pour in batter.
- Bake 20 or 25 minutes or until passes the toothpick test (Insert toothpick. If it comes out clean the bread is done.)
- Dump out so it doesn't get soggy. (This isn't necessary when using for cornbread dressing.)
Cornbread Dressing
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Saute onions and celery in butter.
- Combine all ingredients except chicken broth into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir until well mixed.
- Put into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Optional ~ At this time you can pour a little chicken broth over the top to keep the dressing from drying out, or I usually pour it on after it has cooked then let sit until ready to serve. It doesn't take much, no more than 1/2 cup.
- Bake 30-45 minutes or until browned.
