Country Cornbread Dressing - Ma Maw's Recipe

In our house on Thanksgiving day you can guarantee that Ma Maw's Cornbread dressing (not stuffing) will be on the table.  This dressing is moist, delicious and so easy to make. 
I wanted to post a few recipes that I prepared for Christmas Dinner. The first one is my husbands Ma maw's Country Cornbread Dressing. Her dressing is so good, so moist and so addicting. I look so forward to it every year. For me it just wouldn't be the holidays without her cornbread dressing.

I always make Ma maw's dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her dressing is the bomb!! I don't know why we don't make it throughout the year instead of just around the holidays. I really need to fix that.

This recipe makes a full 9 x 13 inch pan, but if it is just us four for dinner, I prepare an 8  x  8 inch pan. I always prepare a full recipe and just make two 8 x 8 inch pans and freeze the second one for another chicken, turkey or pork chop meal.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does and my neighbor, I wont mention her name, you know who you are!!!!! Let's get started on the step-by-step recipe and instructions. 

A day before you prepare the dressing bake the cornbread. 

Let cool and cut into cubes. Cut up the biscuits or toasted bread as well. Spread on a large baking sheet and place on the counter to dry out a bit (about 24 hours). 

On the day of preparation using a large bowl add the dried cornbread and biscuits or bread and set aside. Saute the chopped apple, onions and celery in 1/2 cup of butter until translucent, shiny, and the butter has cooked down some. 

Add the vegetable mixture to the cornbread. Add the cream of chicken soup, beaten eggs and begin adding the chicken broth start with one can and, add more as needed. You want the mixture to resemble the consistency of cornbread batter. 

It usually doesn't take more than 2 - 14 oz cans. If adding a boiled egg to your dressing chop and add that at this point.Add all the spices and make sure to blend everything together really well. Don't break up the cornbread too much you want some cornbread & biscuit chunks.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 45 - 55 minutes or until the dressing is cooked through and jiggles just a bit. The dressing will continue to cook as it cools. Insert a knife and it should come out clean.

Make sure not to overcook the dressing or it will be dry. The dressing should be brown around the edges and dry on top and very lightly golden brown. Let cool and serve.


I started cooking my dressing in my new Crock Pot Casserole.. I love it and I love how the dressing turns out. Prepare the dressing according to the directions. Spray your casserole crock pot with non stick spray and the dressing. Cover and cook on high for the first hour then reduce to low and cook for an additional 3 -4 hours. 

Remove the lid and test the dressing with a toothpick or butter knife. Insert and it comes out clean the dressing is done. It should giggle just a bit because it will continue to cook as it cools. This recipe pictured is chicken and dressing, but it's still my country cornbread dressing with just a whole cooked chicken added. 


Yield: 8-10
Author: Tina Butler | Mommy's Kitchen
Ma Maw's Country Cornbread Dressing

Ma Maw's Country Cornbread Dressing

In our house on Thanksgiving day you can guarantee that Ma Maw's Cornbread dressing (not stuffing) will be on the table. This dressing is moist, delicious and so easy to make.
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 55 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 25 H & 40 M

Ingredients

  • 1 - skillet cornbread, baked & crumbled (approx 8 cups)
  • 1 - cup chopped celery
  • 1 - cup chopped onion
  • 2 - 14 oz cans low sodium chicken broth or use homemade
  • 1 - 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 - eggs, beaten
  • 3 - biscuits, crumbled or any type of bread, toasted and cubed
  • 1 - small granny smith apples (finely chopped)
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons sage, to your taste
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, to your taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste 
  • 1/2 - cup (1 stick) butter

Instructions

  1. A day before making the dressing prepare and bake the cornbread, let cool and cut into cubes. Cut up the biscuits or toasted bread as well.
  2. Place on a large baking sheet and let the cornbread & biscuits or bread sit out to dry on the counter (about 24 hours).
  3. Add the cornbread and bread into a large bowl and set aside. Sauté the apple, onions and celery in 1/2 cup of butter until they're translucent, shiny, and the butter has cooked down some.
  4. Add the vegetable mixture to the cornbread. Add one can of cream of chicken soup, the beaten eggs and begin adding the chicken broth start with one can and add more as needed. You want the mixture to be the consistency of cornbread batter. It usually doesn't take more than 2 cans of chicken broth.
  5. Add all of the spices and mix everything really well. Don't break up the cornbread to much you want some cornbread & biscuit chunks.
  6. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 45-55 minutes or until the dressing is cooked through and jiggles just a bit. The dressing will continue to cook as it cools. Insert a knife or toothpick until it comes out clean.
  7. Make sure not to overcook the dressing or it will be dry. The dressing should be brown around the edges and very light golden brown on top

Notes:

To Freeze Dressing: You want to freeze the cornbread dressing unbaked. After pouring the dressing into a greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap and then double wrap with aluminum foil. Date and place in freezer. To cook remove from freezer and completely thaw and continue to bake according to recipe directions.


Chicken & Dressing:  If you would like to make chicken and dressing just rinse, remove giblets, neck, and liver from inside of the chicken. Rinse and pat dry. Boil the chicken for 2 hours or until done. De-bone and break the chicken into smaller pieces. Add the chicken to the cornbread dressing and mix to combine. Spray your casserole dish and add the dressing mixture. Bake as directed according to the recipe. 

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29 comments

Anonymous said…
My goodness these recipes look great!..I am excited to try a few....Thanks for sharing...the McDairmants
Mmmmmmm I love cornbread dressing! Looks delicious.
Tina, neighbor. I hope you had a delightful Christmas. By the sound of the menu it must have been delicious. I love the Apple Pie and the cornbread recipes. I always have apple pie for my birthday so I will be tying out this recipe. May you have a safe and wonderful new year filled with health happiness and prosperity. Big hugs from me in "cold" El Paso.
Nonnas News said…
This looks and sounds so good! I will have to give it a try!
Anonymous said…
okay I have to confess that I was in such a hurry to make I forgot to cook the onions but it still tasted great but I will get it right next time.lol and by the way I do know how to use a fork I just didn't need one :p
Live.Love.Eat said…
I have never had cornberad dressing before but I'd sure like to now!
Unknown said…
Hi Tina,
I just made this stuffing for my family and we loved it! Being from Georgia we have eaten lots of cornbread stuffing and this is one of the best:) Your blog is awesome and I look forward to trying many of your recipes. Thanks so much and keep up the good work.
Krista
Artbyasm said…
This looks so yummy! Think I will make this for Thanksgiving!
One simple way said…
Never tried the apple in my cornbread dressing. Will give it a try at Christmas.
teacheranne27 said…
This looks good. I've never thought of using apple great idea mamaws are awesome
teacheranne27 said…
Hello I've never thought of using apple In my dressing before.I'm going to have to try it my family loves dressing and some times we have it even if its not a holiday thanks
cloey t. said…
Hello!

Wonder if I can use butter instead of using margarine.
Unknown said…
Nancy/Fayetteville ,Ga.
I MADE THIS AND IT WAS THE BEST.MY FAMILY LOVED IT AND THEY ARE A HARD BUNCH TO PLEASE. GREAT RECIPE.
Sara said…
This looks great. As a yank, though, I have never made cornbread. Do you have a basic recipe that you can recommend or would the store bought mix be okay? Thanks.
Tina Butler said…
I use the store bought Martha White yellow corn bread mix when I make my dressing. Make sure to get the corn bread mix and not corn muffin mix. I use 2 packages and prepare according to package directions. I bake it in my iron skillet, but a 13 x 9 inch baking pan will work just as good.
Unknown said…
Oh Tina, how I love you and your recipes! Everything on this blog is delicious! I made this dressing and it was soooo good i will definitely make this every holiday!
Tina Butler said…
Shriece that makes me so happy. The holidays are just not the same without Ma Maws Dressing. I need to take a better photo and update this post. Merry Christmas.
Anonymous said…
I didn't include apples, but I have made this recipe twice in the past month so far... and it's wonderful! I made it for my entire family for Thanksgiving and they were extremely impressed.. If you love a good southern cornbread dressing this is the recipe for you!
Unknown said…
Hello. I'm late to the party but I have a few questions. 1) I was wondering how many slices of bread you would use if substituting that in place of the biscuits. The dressing I normally make has one skillet of cornbread and also 12 slices of day old bread. Seems like your recipe may not want this much bread. 2) If using biscuits, what size/type of biscuits do you use? Would the big/frozen homestyle type work (if baked first, of course)? 3) The whole reason I even found your page is that I was Googling info on pre-freezing dressing. Do you do this much and does it work well? Not a problem with the eggs in it? Thanks, Rob.
Unknown said…
One more... "and begin adding the chicken broth start with one can and go from there"... Where is there? Don't quite understand what I'm trying to get done in this instruction. Thanks, Rob
Tina Butler said…
It would be about 3-4 slices of toasted bread. Any more than that and it will be more of a bread stuffing than a cornbread dressing. For the chicken broth start with one can and go from there. It usually takes 2-14 oz cans. You want the uncooked dressing to the consistency of unbaked cornbread batter.
Anonymous said…
This is the best cornbread dressing recipe. This is very close to my Mama's dressing. I like to add a large can of canned chicken breast with the broth to the mixture, and I use plain dry bread crumbs that come in a container for the bread part. I made this for our church Thanksgiving lunch, and everyone loved it!
Love the cooking in crock pot casserole idea! Looks delicious.
bigcountry said…
I'm planning to make my dressing and freeze it unbaked until later. Most other recipes say you can only freeze it if not using eggs. Yours is the opposite and implies that you're freezing raw eggs, which I suspect isn't good. Any comment?
Tina Butler said…
@bigcountry
You can't refrigerate unbaked stuffing using eggs, but you can freeze it unbaked per the USDA.
Sarah said…
I've never tried cornbread dressing with apples in it. I'm curious to try and check out the taste. What about raw eggs to help bind it together? My mother in law always put chopped up boiled eggs in her turkey gravy - delicious spooned over the cornbread dressing!
bigcountry said…
I just leave out the eggs and the dressing comes out fine.
Tina Butler said…
The raw eggs are added to hold the dressing together, but then the dressing is baked, so it cooks through.
Anonymous said…
Yes, I prefer butter!