Southern Cornbread Dressing

By Silvermama

Every true southern cook has their own version of cornbread dressing. My mother's was the best, but I made a few changes, like using fresh herbs and red bell pepper rather than green. I always make a huge pan of this because it freezes well; then you can pair the dressing with roasted chicken or pork.

Ingredients

• CORNBREAD:
• Turkey stock (boiled from your turkey necks/giblets) or approx 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14-ounce) package Peppridge Farm Herb Stuffing
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 3 stalks celery (approximately 6 inches each), chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 sweet onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup, packed)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
• 10 fresh medium sage leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 large boiled eggs, diced
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups yelllow corn meal
• 1 large egg, whipped
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour (this will keep the cornbread from having a "grainy" texture)

Details

Servings 15
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 100mins

Preparation

Step 1

In large mixing bowl, mix cornbread ingredients together. Pour into an iron skillet and bake in a 425°F pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In large skillet, heat canola oil and saute celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic until soft. Set aside.

Crumble cornbread into a 3 quart baking dish. Add herb stuffing, vegetables and 2 cups broth. Mix slightly. Add melted butter, fresh herbs, poultry seasoning, eggs and 2 more cups of broth. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add another cup of the broth. The mixture should look mushy, much like a thick soup. If necessary, add the last cup of broth.

Cover tightly with foil and bake in pre-heated oven at 425°F for approx 45-50 minutes; should be bubbling and heated thru. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to brown the top. Remove from oven and let the dressing rest for 15-20 minutes.