Southern Cornbread Dressing

Source

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018382-southern-cornbread-dressing

Notes

• The cornbread must be diced and dried before using. Be sure to prepare cornbread at least one day in advance.

Equipment

• 8-by-11-inch baking dish

Preheat Oven

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Ingredients

• One recipe cornbread
• 720ml (3 cups) soft white bread, crust removed and torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (do not pack)
• 120ml (½ cup) butter (1 stick), plus more for the pan
• 480ml (2 cups) chopped sweet onions
• 360ml (1½ cups) chopped celery (4 or 5 stalks)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 960–1200ml (4 to 5 cups) rich chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock

Preparation

Dry Cornbread

1. After baking and cooling cornbread, dice into ½" cubes.
2. Spread cornbread cubes in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
3. Leave to dry several days, or leave overnight in an oven at about 150°F.

Combine Breads

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine cornbread and white bread in a large bowl, tossing to mix, and breaking cornbread into smaller pieces.

Vegetables

1. Melt butter in a large skillet.
2. Add onions, celery and ½ teaspoon salt.
3. Sauté until vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes.
4. Add vegetables to bread mixture and combine.

Final Steps

1. Lightly beat eggs and add to bowl.
2. Sprinkle in herbs
3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and toss together.
4. Add 960ml (4 cups) broth and stir well.
5. Using your hands, work the mixture to get a very lumpy, thick, batter-like consistency.
6. Add another 240ml (1 cup) of stock if needed.
7. The mixture should be very wet and pourable but without standing liquid.

Bake

1. Butter an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
2. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake until dressing puffs slightly and has browned well around the edges, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. If you have drippings from a roasted turkey, spoon some over the top about 30 minutes into the baking time.