Real sho'nuff cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving?

keith44spl · #51 11-22-2013, 09:31 PM

Cornbread dressin' ain't jest for holidays anymore.........

My bride fixes me a pan of chicken & dressing bout once a month.

.

finesse_r · #52 11-22-2013, 10:34 PM

I never could understand why people would ruin perfectly good cornbread by mixing it with other stuff and then stuffing it up a turkey’s posterior.

I like my turkey and I love cornbread, but I have never found a dressing or stuffing that I cared for at all.

Then later that night a nice slice of turkey breast with a large glass of milk with crumbled up cornbread in it. Now that is good.

LL617 · #53 11-22-2013, 11:21 PM

Being from the South, it sounds about right. I know some folks like to make the cornbread the day before and let it sit covered until time to make the dressing.

shouldazagged · #54 11-22-2013, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finesse_r

I never could understand why people would ruin perfectly good cornbread by mixing it with other stuff and then stuffing it up a turkey’s posterior.

Where I grew up we didn't serve impacted turkeys.

The dressing was cooked on the side. I believe I could make a dressing you'd like, though I've never made it exactly the same way twice.

jgh4445 · #55 11-23-2013, 11:01 AM

Red, you are truly blessed to still have Mama. She's a jewel! Mine was too. Lost her 4 years ago. She made the same dressing but she did include some of the fixins for the Giblet gravy in it also. Giblets, chopped up boiled egg and, would you believe, more onions and broth?

Brian41 · #56 11-23-2013, 12:25 PM

Sounds real similar to what my mother-in-law used to make and turkey was a regular item in her kitchen too and not just holidays either.
She's gone now but my wife learned well from her and the tradition goes on. These days I do the bird cooking and my wife does the rest, never had a hungry person leave the table either.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

redlevel · #57 11-21-2014, 10:20 AM

One more time.

Mama has already called me to make sure I get her early Thanksgiving morning so she can help with the dressing. She continues to do pretty well, although it is evident she has really slowed down since I started this thread in 2010.

Everyone have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Hope all y'all enjoy as much of God's blessing as I do.

THE PILGRIM · #58 11-21-2014, 10:50 AM

My Mother and everybody in my family made dressing. That's baked separately from the turkey.
I Have hung out with some Yankee folks who put it in the turkey.
That would be 'stuffing.'
I asked my Mother for her recipe. She didn't really have one and struggled to write one down.
Either she wrote wrong or I misread. I added too much Sage. I love sage in dressing. But too much sage is not a good think, I guarantee!

RonJ · #59 11-21-2014, 05:51 PM

Too much sage makes it bitter!
While I don't mind light bread or biscuits in dressing it ain't necessary. Cornbread alone is great.
Giblets and a handfull of raisins are good but no oysters for me.

During the off seasons my Grandma used to make a similar dish. She called it PUSH. Us kids loved it. Anyone else heard of this?
Give me a plate of push, a heap of fried okra and some cold buttermilk, I'm in heaven.

Ogandydancer · #60 11-21-2014, 07:31 PM

Good dressing is as th OP describes but does not have to be spooned out like thick soup if it's firm O K but not to firm and that is why you have white gravy to put on it (to moisten it). Sage and onions and celery are very very key ingredients. Too little of each and it really isn't good.

No oyster or chestnut dressing either, they are both nasty.

redlevel · #61 11-22-2015, 10:20 AM

TTT

With a heavy heart.

Mama had a bad fall last year about a week before Christmas.
She went to hospital, then to a nursing home, where she is today.
She had begun to get really frail about two years back. We
would love to bring her home for Thanksgiving, but there is no
doubt it would become a medical emergency.

Although her short-term memory is gone, she still recognizes all
of us, and remains relatively cheerful.

I will continue doing the dressing for the holidays until I reach
The point she is at now. Cycle of life, I guess.

soFlaNative · #62 11-22-2015, 04:12 PM

Touching and informative thread from the get go, Red.
Especially the yearly updates.
God Bless your Mom.

Thank you.

doublesharp · #63 11-22-2015, 04:59 PM

Give your mama a hug from me. My mom died nearly 3 years ago and she was cut from the same cloth as your mama. I surely do miss her but this dressing recipe is a dead ringer for the cornbread dressing I was raised on and I'm thankful for this thread because I never helped or even watched mom make dressing.

I hosted the Thanksgiving meal the first year after mom died and this dressing recipe was the star of the show. I also made an applesauce cake from scratch with black walnuts and the caramel icing that you stir til your arm about falls off. Good stuff but last year we went to Ruth's Chris and are going back this year. Not the same but there's not enough of us left to put on a big spread and RC does a pretty good job with turkey although it is yankee dressing. A nice touch is they send everyone home with a box of turkey, dressing and sweet potatoes for leftovers.

wbraswell · #64 11-23-2015, 10:57 AM

redlevel, I appreciate you bringing this thread back each year. Never let it die. Bless your Mom and your family this holiday season.
There is no such thing as too dry dressing as long as there's enough giblet gravy.

chaparrito · #65 11-23-2015, 12:42 PM

Beautiful! My trick is to make the cornbread several days in advance (made mine yesterday) and leave it out to the air to dry out. That way it absorbs maximum broth. I make mine from heritage corn I grind myself. We've grown this corn for generations. Here's a pic of the origin of this year's cornbread:

wbraswell · #66 11-23-2015, 02:46 PM

OK chaparrito, since you've one upped all our traditions, you've got to tell us the varieties of that corn.

the ringo kid · #67 11-23-2015, 03:17 PM

Wishing you and her well, Red. Mines been gone since Christmas day, 1991.

gregintenn · #68 11-23-2015, 05:46 PM

My wife's grandmother taught her to make dressing from homemade biscuits rather than cornbread. It is different from anything I've ever eaten, and one of my favorite foods.

She passed last Christmas at 102. My wife is a very good cook, but her cooking just isn't the same as her granny's.

joeintexas · #69 11-23-2015, 05:58 PM

Red your mama's recipe sounds really close to what my mama used to make and her kitchen looks just like your mama's,,well cooked in but clean as a pin! Thanks for the thread and the updates. We lost my mom 6 years ago and my dad last year, both in November so Thanksgiving has mixed feelings. Give that beautiful mother of yours a big hug from us down here in Texas.

redlevel · #70 11-21-2016, 10:29 PM

Mama left us this last March.

A Life Well Lived

I will be making the dressing by myself this year.
It won't feel just right, but I know she will be with me in
spirit. I miss her, but when you believe in a life beyond
this earth, and believe the promises of our Savior, it is hard
to be too sad when someone like Mama goes.

We have a lot to be thankful for this year. We gained a Son-in-Law
a few days ago. While Mama never got to meet him, our daughter
told her all about him the last time she saw Mama.

I'm not trying to make this sound too maudlin. I'll still enjoy
cooking Thanksgiving Dinner, and will bask in the compliments
my family will pay me. One of them might even say it's just as
good as Mama's. He will be telling a lie, though.

JohnRippert · #71 11-21-2016, 10:42 PM

That is the way it was in our house for many years. Real cornbread dressing and giblet gravy. Lots of the extras that came with the turkey went into the dressing as well as the gravy. Once the grandparents passed we did not do very many family get togethers, so it has been a while. Probably a good thing. My metabolism cannot handle all the old fashion Thanksgiving dishes and desserts.

Muley Gil · #72 11-22-2016, 11:40 PM

I'll be baking a couple of skillets of cornbread tomorrow myself.

model70hunter · #73 11-24-2016, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlevel

It's getting harder and harder to find. I have been helping my Mama make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas the last two years, and I think I have it just about down. You must make real cornbread from scratch, with eggs. You need lots of chopped onions. You have to boil a hen for broth, and you need plenty of canned broth on hand, just in case Mama thinks it needs more. Rule of thumb on the chopped onions is to chop up what you think is enough, then chop that many more. It needs some chopped celery, but that isn't nearly as critical as the onions. You crumble the cornbread and put it in a big pot. Add broth. Dump in some onions and celery. Stir. Add plenty of black pepper. Add more broth. Stir some more. Add some sage. Crumble up several homemade biscuits made the day before and add to the mix. Add more onions. More sage. Now, crack and beat about a half-dozen eggs. Hint: eggs are a very important component of most any Southern dish, almost as important as bacon grease. In this case, the eggs make the dressing rise and keeps it from being flat and hard as a brick, like some dressing I have seen Yankees make. Cornbread dressing is supposed to be dipped, with a spoon, not sliced and served with a spatula.

While all this is going on, the turkey, usually a pretty large one, has been baking in the oven. It produces copious drippings, very rich and flavorful. One must, without burning oneself, procure most of these drippings from the roasting pan. The drippings, as many as can possibly be siphoned from the pan, are added to the now savory smelling (and tasting) mixture.

Now a discussion on whether or not the dressing mix is moist enough ensues. Usually, at least one more can of chicken stock is added, and probably a few more onions. Last fine-tunings of salt and pepper are made, and maybe another couple of eggs. The mixture is poured into two large baking pans, about four inches or so deep. I believe the proper temperature is around 400 degrees. It must cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. It might be necessary to turn the heat to "broil" the last few minutes to properly brown the top. The dressing is done when one can grasp the edge of the roaster with a proper hot pad, and shake semi-vigorously. When the dressing ceases to do an imitation of a particularly scintillating episode of Charley's Angels, it is done. Pictures to follow. Giblet gravy tutorial in the works.

Wife and I are doing the Giblet gravy now, she asked how my Mom made it, I told her and she is off and running.

It's almost midnight and she's in the kitchen cooking. It's not that bad, She's an RN and delivers babies on the night shift so she is pretty much a night owl.

Here is the problem, a real problem, your dressing sounds a lot like my Mom's, you now have me starving to death for some. You have to do a one man karma, I'm the man. Overnight delivery is too expensive. I'll meet you half way.

Can't wait to see your giblet tutorial.

chud333 · #74 11-24-2016, 01:57 AM

My momma makes it like that in Indiana as her mother
before her.
The Cornbread stuffing is what i will go after first.
And that's saying a lot considering the various dishes
we will wade thru Thursday.
Yummmmm !!!!

Chuck

soFlaNative · #75 11-24-2016, 07:59 AM

Nice job Red, I recall that picture of the lovely gal in the orchard.
Good luck with the dressing, try not to salt it too much with emotion.
Will drive to see my Mom Friday after work. I hope I can express to her what she means to me.

doublesharp · #76 11-19-2018, 11:24 AM

This is one of my favorite threads and it's time to get the shopping done (more onions and sage

) and the cornbread and biscuits made. We're having Thanksgiving at our house, just a small gathering of 4 or 5 but we will eat big and my part is the turkey and dressing.

Thanks again to redlevel for starting the thread and for sharing the recipe.

And thanks to the mods for seeing fit to archive these old threads. What a wonderful resource!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

keith44spl · #77 11-19-2018, 12:23 PM

About half the kids are coming over for dinner Thursday...

Mrs. 44 Special is fixin turkey and her cornbread/biscuit dressing just like my mother used to make.

Homemade pecan pies and pumpkin cake, (my personal favorite).

We're very thankful that all is reasonably well, as we can be, anyway.

.

Here's wishing y'all a very Happy Thanksgiving and most of all, Good Health.

.

sheepdawg · #78 11-19-2018, 05:24 PM

I'm hungry.

Ole Joe Clark · #79 11-19-2018, 06:34 PM

Beautiful. It's not about dressing or turkey or apple pies, it's about Mama. Makes me think of mine so much. Makes my heart hurt too, but in a good way.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

HOUSTON RICK · #80 11-19-2018, 07:21 PM

We have gone to Thanksgiving fajitas, queso and pumpkin pie ala mode. Fills you up, but you do not have to unbutton your pants. Statistically, Americans who eat twice the calories on average of other countries (because we can) double their calorie intake on thanksgiving. I read it on the internet, it must be right. I do the cooking unless it is microwaved out of the freezer.

HOUSTON RICK · #81 11-23-2018, 01:28 AM

The inlaws have come, grazed, fed, drunk to excess and waddled back to their McMansions for another month.

Ole Joe Clark · #82 11-23-2018, 10:27 AM

We crossed mountains, a creek or two, braved hunting season traffic, to arrive at the Family Thanksgiving gathering at my older Sister's house. She is 87 and the years are starting to show. Had some great smoked turkey breast, dressing, nanner pudding, orange marmalade cake and so many other good things that I can't remember. Oh, yes we had salmon patties that were great too!
No grumpy relatives, they all stayed home or went deer hunting. Lots of hugs and food. So much to be thankful for.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

doublesharp · #83 11-23-2018, 11:18 AM

Our Thanksgiving turned out great. I followed red's dressing recipe and I received several "tastes just like my mom's" compliments.

I did the turkey different this year. Followed this youtube video and broke it down and deboned the breasts and thighs. Baked it on a 1/4 sheet pan and it was done in well under an hour. Juicy and tender with a crisp skin and was able to use both shelves in the oven.

THE PILGRIM · #84 11-23-2018, 11:46 AM

Glad you still have your Mom.
I have my Mom’s Dressing recipe and have tried to make it.
It’s pretty basic, you do need stale cornbread and Sage.
And the mentioned real chicken Broth.
I’m afraid it’s now a distant childhood memory sliding into the Ether!

two-bit cowboy · #85 11-23-2018, 12:32 PM

I grew up on cornbread dressing (and stuffing). I didn't have my grandmother's recipe so about 15 years ago I searched online for one. I found lots, and I cobbled together my recipe from all those. It's as close as I could come to my grandmother's.

I took the several days this week to build it in preparation for dinner at a friend's home yesterday. None of the guests had ever had cornbread dressing! It went over like gang busters.

Besides 100 percent cornbread (no white bread) and all the usual savory spices, I use Granny Smith apples, yellow onions, celery, golden raisins, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, fresh parsley and a not-so-wee dram of peated single malt scotch whisky (one for the recipe, and one for the cook).

Always a hit.

Old Arkansawyer · #86 11-23-2018, 09:41 PM

Red's mom's recipe sounds close to what my mom made, then my older
sister and now my wife and daughter. My mon always cooked a fat hen
and made her own chicken broth and grew her own sage.
The Holidays are somewhat bitter/sweet to me as old memories fill my
mind. My mom died 20 years ago come April but her memory is still
fresh in my mind.

BC38 · #87 11-23-2018, 09:55 PM

I haven't had any gen-u-ine corbread stuffing in probably 10 years.
But my wifey does make some really good stuffing from various kinds of croutons.

kmyers · #88 11-24-2018, 03:16 AM

The pans of cornbread dressing(NOT stuffing!) from the pictures makes me remember when I was young and the women folk would make it. Cornbread, sage, poultry seasoning, and made in pretty much a wash tub because there was apt to be 20 people show up.

redlevel · #89 11-24-2018, 12:06 PM

We had another greatThanksgiving celebration this year.
I made the dressing, sweettater souffle, and cooked a big mess of collard greens. I can do most of it “by ear” now, not measuring stuff, just adding a little of this and that. All the folks raved over how good it all was. Guess Mama taught me well.

Better than the food was the great family unity and love. We live in a 125 year old farmhouse, and things are pretty traditional, what with checking and feeding the livestock, etc. My daughter and her husband stay for several days, just enjoying the country life. My daughter is an only child, and loves the time spent with her cousins. My nephew’s wife said she would rather spend the holiday with his family than her own, because “I love y’all, and y’all love me so much.”

I realize that most families aren’t as close as we are, and don’tget along nearly as well as we do.

Oh, yeah, I am going to be a grandpas in March!

So much to be thankful for.

soFlaNative · #90 11-24-2018, 07:01 PM

Glad you chimed in your old thread, Red.

redlevel · #91 11-26-2019, 12:05 AM

Thanksgiving again.
Still about my favorite holiday.
Mama is just a memory now, but I wish everyone could have such memories.
Once again, much of the family will gather at our house for the meal. I already have a
bunch of it cooked.
There will be a few empty seats, great nieces and nephews, now near grown,
gone in other directions.
The crowd will be smaller this year, only 13-14 of us.
There will be one brand new guest this year. Our daughter blessed us with a grandchild
back in February. Little Sarah Grace Dodrill will be celebrating her first Thanksgiving.
Sarah Grace and I have already developed a special relationship. We hired a photographer
to make some “fall pictures” a few weeks back. The photographer quickly discovered that little
Sarah Grace couldn’t take her eyes off me. She got some great pictures, but the winner was the one below.

As you might imagine, I am overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness this year.
I just hope God has blessed all of you as much as He has me and my family in 2019.

GreyOwl · #92 11-26-2019, 02:01 AM

Great Picture!!

Jessie · #93 11-26-2019, 09:52 AM

Thumbs up to you and your family and it looks like you’ll be having another great Thanksgiving.
Your Mom will be there in spirit and also in the food you’ll enjoy.
I’m sure she’s wearing a huge smile looking down on her Great Granddaughter.

Rustyt1953 · #94 11-26-2019, 12:12 PM

What a happy, telling picture that is.

Every Thanksgiving we make Ruthie's mom's cornbread dressing and my mom's English "sloppy" dressing. Both could be considered as entrées as they are the first two things to disappear.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

R&R

jubela#4 · #95 11-18-2020, 02:25 AM

This is a great thread that I have followed from the start. Just thought I’d get it back up for others to see.

Jessie · #96 11-24-2020, 06:19 PM

Thanks Redlevel, the wife and I are doing Thanksgiving by ourselves this year so I’m going to experiment with a half batch of yours.
It sounds fantastic. She’s from South Carolina so I’m sure she’ll approve.
We have all the needed ingredients. Just made the cornbread and biscuits.

redlevel · #97 11-24-2020, 09:59 PM

Thanks for the bump.
I’m preparing the Thanksgiving meal again this year. There will be about fourteen of us eating.
Some of us are old, and fairly high risk. We realize the risks, but we are in agreement that we must
either live our lives to as normal a degree as possible, or just isolate ourselves. We will of course try
to be as careful as possible, doing a lot of our visiting outside, since the temp is supposed to be 75*.

I’m cooking turkey, dressing, and sweet tater souffle. Others are bringing deviled eggs, green beans, etc.

I was talking with one of my best friends yesterday. His mother is 96. She is having Thanksgiving with
three of her children, their spouses, and children. Probably 15-20 of them. Bill said his mother realizes the
possibilities, but she has decided she is not going to spend what time she has left locked up in her little house.
She is going to enjoy her children and grandchildren.
We feel pretty much the same.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Jessie · #98 11-26-2020, 04:11 PM

Ok Redlevel, here’s the chopped version 8x8.
Haven’t tasted it yet but it looks fine.
And it tasted every bit as good as it looked and the wife loves it.
Thanks again!

redlevel · #99 11-21-2021, 03:05 PM

To the top, one more time.

I’ve got the cornbread cooked, in the fridge, waiting to be made up into dressing.
Turnips cooked, in the fridge.
Will start making the Sweet Tater soufflé tomorrow.

Thanksgiving becomes even more my favorite holiday as I get older.
There will probably be about a dozen of us this year. Can’t be too sad about
those who have gone on, especially Mama, because the memories are so good,
and the assurances of our Savior are so real.

Our granddaughter continues to be such a blessing, and a cause for such great joy.

Here, she is rubbing the head of her favorite cow, then dancing on the floor of my under construction cabin.

I hope God has blessed y’all like he has us in 2021.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Ole Joe Clark · #**100** 11-21-2021, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlevel

It's getting harder and harder to find. I have been helping my Mama make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas the last two years, and I think I have it just about down. You must make real cornbread from scratch, with eggs. You need lots of chopped onions. You have to boil a hen for broth, and you need plenty of canned broth on hand, just in case Mama thinks it needs more. Rule of thumb on the chopped onions is to chop up what you think is enough, then chop that many more. It needs some chopped celery, but that isn't nearly as critical as the onions. You crumble the cornbread and put it in a big pot. Add broth. Dump in some onions and celery. Stir. Add plenty of black pepper. Add more broth. Stir some more. Add some sage. Crumble up several homemade biscuits made the day before and add to the mix. Add more onions. More sage. Now, crack and beat about a half-dozen eggs. Hint: eggs are a very important component of most any Southern dish, almost as important as bacon grease. In this case, the eggs make the dressing rise and keeps it from being flat and hard as a brick, like some dressing I have seen Yankees make. Cornbread dressing is supposed to be dipped, with a spoon, not sliced and served with a spatula.

While all this is going on, the turkey, usually a pretty large one, has been baking in the oven. It produces copious drippings, very rich and flavorful. One must, without burning oneself, procure most of these drippings from the roasting pan. The drippings, as many as can possibly be siphoned from the pan, are added to the now savory smelling (and tasting) mixture.

Now a discussion on whether or not the dressing mix is moist enough ensues. Usually, at least one more can of chicken stock is added, and probably a few more onions. Last fine-tunings of salt and pepper are made, and maybe another couple of eggs. The mixture is poured into two large baking pans, about four inches or so deep. I believe the proper temperature is around 400 degrees. It must cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. It might be necessary to turn the heat to "broil" the last few minutes to properly brown the top. The dressing is done when one can grasp the edge of the roaster with a proper hot pad, and shake semi-vigorously. When the dressing ceases to do an imitation of a particularly scintillating episode of Charley's Angels, it is done. Pictures to follow. Giblet gravy tutorial in the works.

My wife is assigned the chicken dressing for our family Thanksgiving dinner. If you have tried it, you know why. She has it figured out.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Leon