Best Catherines Cornbread Dressing Recipes

THE BEST CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• For the cornbread: preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl until combined.
• Put the butter in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly, then whisk in the buttermilk, whole milk and eggs until smooth.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined with no lumps remaining. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cornbread can be made one day in advance. After cooling completely, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
• Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Once the cornbread is completely cool, run a small offset spatula around the edges of the pan, then invert it onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until the cornbread cubes are crisp at the edges and almost completely dried out, about 40 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. (This step can be done up to 24 hours in advance. Store the cooled cornbread cubes in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag until ready to use.)
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously with butter.
• For the dressing: melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, thyme and poultry seasoning and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the cornbread cubes, chicken broth and eggs to the bowl and toss gently until the vegetables are evenly dispersed and the bread is very moist (do not overwork or the cornbread will fall apart). Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Uncover, then return to the oven and bake until lightly browned and crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes more. Let sit for 10 minutes, then top with chopped parsley and serve.

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Place the chicken breast halves in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and easily shredded. Shred chicken and set aside. Reserve 4 to 6 cups of the remaining broth.
• Prepare an 8x8 inch pan of cornbread according to package directions. Crumble the corn bread into a large bowl. Mix in the white bread.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine and stir in the onions and celery. Slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• Stir the onions and celery into the bread mixture. Mix in the chicken, 4 cups reserved broth, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, pepper and eggs. Blend with a potato masher until the mixture is the consistency of gelatin. Use more of the reserved broth as necessary to attain desired consistency. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

GRANDMA'S CORN BREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Prepare the dry corn bread mix according to package directions. Cool and crumble.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery and onion until soft.
• In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
• Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.