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Southern Cornbread Dressing
My grandmother’s Southern Cornbread Dressing is the one thing the whole family scrambles to get on Thanksgiving Day. This moist dressing is chocked full of cornbread, turkey drippings, seasoning vegetables, and herbs!
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Servings: 12
Calories: 143kcal
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Ingredients
- 2 9x13 pans cornbread (non-sweet cornbread)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
- 1 cup celery finely diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Italian parsley chopped
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers crushed
- 2 (26-oz) cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups roasted turkey drippings (or chicken broth)
- 2 turkey wings
- 2 turkey thighs
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Cornbread
- Bake the cornbread 2 to 3 days in advance.2 9x13 pans cornbread
- Cool completely, crumble, and let it dry at room temperature, loosely covered with a clean kitchen towel.
Roast the Turkey
- Preheat oven to 450°F.2 turkey wings, 2 turkey thighs
- Season turkey wings and thighs with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350°F and continue roasting for 1 hour.
- Cool completely.
- Pour off drippings and reserve.
- Remove meat from bones, discarding skin and bones.
- Coarsely chop the meat and set aside.
Cook the Vegetables
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.1 stick butter
- Add onions, celery, and bell pepper; cook until tender.1 cup celery, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 medium sweet onion
- Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds without browning.4 cloves garlic
Assemble the Dressing
- Place dried, crumbled cornbread in a very large mixing bowl.
- Add sautéed vegetables, parsley, crushed saltines, cream of chicken soup, 2 cups turkey drippings, and chopped turkey meat.1 sleeve saltine crackers, 2 (26-oz) cans cream of chicken soup, 2 cups roasted turkey drippings, Salt and Pepper, 1 cup Italian parsley
- If drippings are insufficient, add chicken broth as needed.
- Mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer mixture into two greased large baking dishes.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and heated through.
- If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
- Replace turkey drippings with chicken broth if needed. (But let me tell you, turkey drippings make it out of this world!)are
- Use rotisserie chicken meat in place of roasted turkey thighs and wings.
- Substitute homemade cream soup for canned cream soup.
- Serve with roasted turkey, chicken, or holiday meats.
- Pairs well with cranberry sauce, gravy, and green beans.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze tightly wrapped portions for up to 2 months.
- Reheat covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
- Prepare the dressing mixture 2 to 3 days ahead.
- Transfer to baking dishes, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.