Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tbsp butter
- 5 large eggs
- 2-1/2 cups whole buttermilk, divided
- 1-½ cups plain yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp table salt
- 2 cups soft bread crumbs
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 celery ribs
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Garnish: Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Preheat oven to 450 °F.
- Coat a well-seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet with vegetable oil. Place ¼ cup butter in the skillet and put into the oven for 5 minutes or until melted. While the skillet is warming, crack 2 eggs into a medium bowl. Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw eggs.
- Whisk 1 ½ cups buttermilk into the eggs just until blended. Set aside.
- In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk mixture and whisk until smooth. Remove the skillet from the oven. Whisk the melted butter into the mixture and pour into the hot cast iron skillet.
- Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw flour.
- Bake until cornbread internal temperature reaches 160 °F on a food thermometer. Loosen the cornbread edges with a small knife. Cool 1 hour.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 °F
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Crumble the baked cornbread into a very large bowl.
- Stir in the soft bread crumbs and the poultry seasoning. Gently rub parsley under cold running water and blot dry with a clean cloth towel or paper towel. Chop on a clean cutting board. Add parsley to the crumbled cornbread mixture. Set aside.
- Scrub the whole onion and the celery with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Chop the onion and the celery. Place in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and celery. Cook the vegetables until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked celery and onions to the cornbread mixture and mix well to combine. Stir in the broth.
- Crack 3 eggs into a medium bowl. Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw eggs. Whisk 1 cup buttermilk into the eggs just until blended; stir this into the cornbread mixture until well blended. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x9-inch baking dish.
- Bake the cornbread dressing until internal temperature reaches 165 °F on a food thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, sprinkle the casserole with freshly ground pepper and serve.
- If it will not be served immediately, tent with foil and keep warm in a 200 °F oven.
Notes
This recipe was developed using the Safe Recipe Style Guide at SafeRecipeGuide.org