Country Cornbread Dressing {Ma Maw Recipe}

I wanted to post a few recipes that I prepared for Christmas Dinner. The first one is my husbands Grandmothers Country Cornbread Dressing. Her dressing is so good, so moist and so addicting. I look so forward to it every year.

To me it just wouldn't be the holidays without cornbread dressing. We usually make Ma Maw's dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her dressing is so good I don't know why we don't make it more often then just around the holidays. I really need to fix that.

This recipe makes a full 9 x 13 inch pan, but it just us for dinner so I prepared a 8 x 8 inch size pan instead. I made the full recipe but, with the remaining cornbread mixture I made a additional small pan and froze it for another chicken 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!!!!! your the one that doesn't even need a fork to eat the dressing she just uses her fingers. LOL

A day before preparing the dressing bake the cornbread, let cool and cut into cubes. Cut up the biscuits or 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 one stick of margarine until they are translucent and shiny. By now the margarine will have cooked down. 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 go from there. Usually it takes no more than 2 - 14 oz cans. If adding a boiled egg to your dressing chop and add that at this point. Add all your spices and make sure to blend everything together really well. The mixture should be the consistency of cornbread batter, don't break up the cornbread to 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- 1 hour until the dressing is cooked through and no longer jiggles when you move the baking dish. 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.


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.

Ma maw's Country Cornbread Dressing

2 - packages Yellow Corn Bread Mix (Not Corn Muffin Mix),
prepared & baked according to package directions.
1 - cup chopped celery
1 - cup chopped onion
2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth
1 - 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
3 - eggs, beaten
2 -3 biscuits, crumbled or any type of bread cubed
1 -2 small granny smith apples or one large (chopped)
1 - 2 teaspoons sage, to your taste
1 - 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, to your taste
1 - stick margarine
1 -boiled egg, chopped (optional)

A day before making the dressing prepare and bake the cornbread, let cool and cut into cubes. Cut up the biscuit as well. Place on a larger baking sheet and let the cornbread & biscuits sit out to dry a bit on the counter (about 24 hours). Add the cornbread and 1 - 2 biscuits in a large bowl and set aside. Sauté’ the chopped apple, onions and celery in one stick of margarine until they are translucent and shiny. By now the margarine will have cooked down.

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 go from there. Usually it takes no more than 2 cans. If adding a boiled egg to your dressing chops and adds that at this point. Add all your spices and mix everything really well. The mixture should be the consistency of cornbread batter, don't break up the cornbread to 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- 1 hour until the dressing is cooked through and no longer jiggles. 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 very light golden brown on top.

Tina , The Mom in Mommy's Kitchen