An authentic recipe for traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing and an easy turkey cooking method. Both are always a part of our Thanksgiving menu.
I'm checking today to make sure I have everything I need for that good old Thanksgiving classic Turkey and Southern Cornbread Dressing.
This is always the star of the show at our Thanksgiving dinners. The side dishes may change. The desserts may be varied. But there is always, always turkey and dressing on the menu.
Stuffing or Dressing? What's the Difference?
Of course, I know that there are those who will debate the differences in dressing and stuffing. I suppose there are merits to each, but dressing is our tradition.
Some people say that the difference is simply that stuffing is cooked inside the turkey and dressing is cooked in a separate dish. In my experience, there's a great deal more difference than that.
The type of cornbread dressing that I grew up with was as different from stuffing as night is from day. Stuffing has cubes of bread or cornbread with other wonderful additions. Vegetables, sausage, even fruit.
But dressing is of a completely different texture. The cornbread is broken down to be more homogenous with the other ingredients which are typically not much more than onions, celery, and stock.
It's also given some lift during the cooking by the addition of beaten eggs. The result is more akin to what southerners would call "souffled," the cornbread having been lifted and lightened by the addition of the eggs.
My Mama's Dressing
What follows is, with minor modifications, my mother's recipe for cornbread dressing. Now my Mama is the undisputed Queen of Southern Cornbread Dressing Makers.
She holds the title and everyone in the family knows it. We're all crazy about her dressing and she always makes far more than is needed to feed the crowd because we all want to take home some of the leftovers.
When BeeBop and I were newly married and living far away from our southern home, Mama wrote down her dressing recipe and mailed it to me (yes, mailed it; there was no email in those days).
That was 30 years ago, and I've used her handwritten instructions ever since. It makes me feel like she's right there in the kitchen cooking with me.
If you want to treat your family to some authentic southern cornbread dressing, give my recipe a try.
An authentic recipe for traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing and an easy turkey cooking method Click To Tweet
How to Make Southern Cornbread Dressing:
Make the Egg Bread
You'll start by making a type of cornbread that we call egg bread. The egg bread should be room temperature, so it’s easiest to make it the day before you make the dressing.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
Add buttermilk and eggs, alternately.
Pour the cooking oil into an iron skillet and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes).
Quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet and return immediately to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Set aside the egg bread until you're ready to make the dressing. I always make the egg bread a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until it's needed.
Assemble the Dressing:
Just a little note here - people often ask me if they can assemble the dressing a day ahead and bake it when needed. I do not advise doing that simply because cornmeal (and, therefore, cornbread) is very, very absorbent. The longer it sits, the more liquid it absorbs. If you made up your dressing the day before baking, it would turn out very dry because the cornmeal would have taken up all the liquid. This type of dressing is meant to be quite moist when served.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Chop the onions and celery.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
Yes, a whole stick of butter. This makes a huge dish of dressing so you probably won't even get a half a tablespoon of butter in your serving. And anyway, it's Thanksgiving, for Pete's sake. Indulge!
Add the onions and celery cooking slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle with the ½ tsp. salt while cooking.
Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish. Just break it up as small as you can with your hands. Don't worry about it too much, you'll work out the finer texture a little later.
Add the soup and broth and then grab your potato masher. Yes, I said potato masher. Use the potato masher to break up the egg bread to a finer texture. You want as few lumps as possible.
Add the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Stop here and taste the mixture. You may need a little more salt. Remember, that's a big dish of dressing to season.
Lightly beat the eggs and add to the dressing mixture. Your mixture should be fairly “soupy.” If you think it’s too thin, you can add some additional bread, crackers, etc. to thicken it.
However, it's rarely too wet. Even if you think it's too wet, it's probably not. It took me a long time to learn that. It's just one of those cook-by-feel lessons that you acquire through making a traditional recipe over and over.
If you do add more bread or crackers, be sure to crumble them well and incorporate them into the mixture.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey:
Of course, Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without the turkey! Here's my simple method for cooking a beautifully moist turkey with a golden, crispy skin.
If your turkey is frozen, allow it to thaw unopened in the refrigerator. Allow at least 24 hours for every 4 pounds. When thawed, keep in refrigerator until ready to cook.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Remove the turkey from its packaging and, using disposable paper toweling, pat dry very thoroughly. Just look at that turkey in the upper left! I opened the packaging to find the skin split in several places. Grrr...thanks a lot Publix.
Anyway, if that happens to you, don't panic. Just do some toothpick surgery like I did. Pull the edges of the split skin together and use toothpicks to secure it. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
If using a whole turkey, tuck the wing tips underneath the body and tie the legs together with twine. Place the turkey on a rack in an open roasting pan.
Rub the skin all over with a generous amount of softened, room temperature butter. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper, a seasoned salt mixture, or your favorite combination of spices.
Place the pan in the oven and set a timer for about ⅔ through the cooking time. When the turkey is about ⅔ done, check for browning. You may need to cover the breast and top of drumsticks with lightweight foil to prevent over browning.
Cook according to the following time table:
| 4 ½ to 7 pounds | 2 – 2 ½ hours |
| 7 to 9 pounds | 2 ½ – 3 hours |
| 9 to 18 pounds | 3 – 3 ½ hours |
| 18 to 22 pounds | 3 ½ – 4 hours |
| 22 to 24 pounds | 4 – 4 ½ hours |
| 24 to 30 pounds | 4 ½ – 5 hours |
Test for doneness with a meat thermometer. A thermometer placed deep within the thigh should read 180 degrees when done.
Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
More Thanksgiving Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
- Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Pork Loin Stuffed with Prunes and Apricots
- Sweet Potato and Pecan Stuffing
- Copper Pennies
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Two Thanksgiving Relishes - Kumquat & Dried Cherry Chutney and Cranberry-Orange Relish
- Baked Fruit
- Pecan Cheesecake Pie
- Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Roll
- Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze
Cornbread Dressing Recipes from Other Bloggers:
- Southern Cornbread Dressing from Add A Pinch
- Easy Cornbread Dressing from Seeded at the Table
- Cornbread Dressing from Tastes Better From Scratch
Like This Recipe! Pin It!
Turkey and Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 onions
- 3 stalks celery
- 8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
- ½ tsp. salt
- Egg Bread recipe follows
- 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
- 32 oz. chicken broth or stock
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ¾ tsp. poultry seasoning
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups (or more) of additional bread crumbs saltine crackers, leftover biscuits or stale bread
For the egg bread:
- 2 cups finely ground white cornmeal sifted
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
For the turkey:
- Whole turkey or turkey breast
- Softened butter
- Salt and pepper or your preferred seasoned salt mixture
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Start by making the egg bread. The egg bread should be room temperature, so it’s easiest to make it the day before making the dressing. See directions below.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the onions and celery. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and celery cooking slowly until tender but without browning at all. Sprinkle with the ½ tsp. salt while cooking.
- Meanwhile, crumble the egg bread into a large baking dish. Add the soup and broth and mix well using a potato masher to break up the egg bread to a fine texture. Add the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Taste and adjust for more salt if needed.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add to the dressing mixture. Your mixture should be fairly “soupy.” If you think it’s too thin, you can add some additional bread, crackers, etc. to thicken it. Be sure to crumble them well and incorporate them into the mixture.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dressing is golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
Make the egg bread:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk and eggs, alternately.
- Pour the cooking oil into an iron skillet and place it into the hot oven. Let the batter rest while the skillet and oil are heating (about 5 minutes). Quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet and return immediately to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cook the turkey:
- If your turkey is frozen, allow it to thaw unopened in the refrigerator. Allow at least 24 hours for every 4 pounds. When thawed, keep in refrigerator until ready to cook.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the turkey from its packaging and, using disposable paper toweling, pat dry very thoroughly. If using a whole turkey, tuck the wing tips underneath the body and tie the legs together with twine.
- Place the turkey on a rack in an open roasting pan. Rub the skin all over with softened, room temperature butter. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper, a seasoned salt mixture, or your favorite combination of spices. When the turkey is about ⅔ done, cover the breast and top of drumsticks with lightweight foil to prevent over browning.
- Cook according to the following time table:2 to 7 pounds: 2 – 2 ½ hours8 to 9 pounds: 2 ½ – 3 hours10 to 18 pounds: 3 – 3 ½ hours19 to 22 pounds: 3 ½ – 4 hours23 to 24 pounds: 4 – 4 ½ hours25 to 30 pounds: 4 ½ – 5 hours
- Test for doneness with a meat thermometer. A thermometer placed deep within the thigh should read 180 degrees when done. Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Have you tried this recipe? I'd love for you to give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card and/or in the comments section further down.
You can always stay in touch on social media by following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and Sign Up to Get my Newsletter, too!
Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
More About Lana →
Christie
Stumbled across your site while looking for a cornbread recipe. I have tried and failed at so many cornbread recipes. I just want to make it like my stepmom and yours looks close. As I read this recipe I was like, yep, this is dressing. My mom makes hers the same way except she adds gizzards. Your recipes look like the food I grew up on but never learned how to cook. So thankful I found your site. Im going to try the basic cornbread recipe in the morning. I do have a question: when you mention salt in your recipes is it table salt unless otherwise noted?
Lana Stuart
Hi Christie. It's actually kosher salt rather than regular table salt. It does measure differently. This particularly cornbread I make only for dressing. We call it "eggbread" in my family and it's fairly dense. If you're looking for an all-purpose cornbread, check out my recipe for Old Fashioned Cornbread. It's delicious!
Claire
This recipe turned out perfect!! I have been trying to replicate my grandmothers and this was the closest, If not better!! By googling “egg bread” this recipe came up and I knew it had to be close. I put it in the fridge the night before. Let it get to room temperature The morning of and it was the perfect texture!! Only thing I changed was not adding the celery and added a can of cream of celery instead (only because my grandmother has always) so glad I finally have a recipe!! Thank you!!
Lana Stuart
I'm so glad it worked out well for you!
Lisa
I rarely get on any site and leave comments but this time I have to make an exception! Your comments concerning your Mother just really gave me a rush of memories that I have of my mother in the kitchen she always told me you need to learn all of this. But I was young and I hated being in the kitchen. Not much has changed in all of the years that have passed. But I was reading all the love when you spoke of the recipe that your Mom sent you over 30 yrs ago. The love that you expressed between every word I heard. I too am very much born and raised Southern Ga girl! I’m very fortunate to still be close to where I was raised. Near the Okefenokee Swamp. The recipe is very close to the way my mom made it as well. Something about that iron skillet. Heating it up before you pore the cornbread mixture in. No doubt that’s how we were all taught. I will definitely print up this recipe and try very soon. But I am not my mother very close but not the cook she was. (When you get married and have youngens of your own you’ll learn how to cook). I ended up here because I was actually looking for Longhorn’s bread recipe and yours definitely got my attention my husband loves that bread so will be trying that soon as well. But when I’m making your Mother’s dressing we don’t call it stuffing down here either I will be remembering how my mother never used a spoon she got her hands in it just as you spoke. I just want to say thank you for giving me reminders of such beautiful memories I have of my Mom watching her when I was growing up and all of my older siblings coming home for Sunday dinner. And always for Christmas and Thanksgiving! Ahh oh what many thanks we have for our blessed raising!
Lisa W
Lana Stuart
Hi Lisa. Thank you for your lovely comments on my cornbread dressing post. Hope you enjoy the recipe :-)
Pat Samford
Your Mamma is one I have been highly blessed to know for years. She is one of the most spectacular star cooks in the south. Her creative talent setting a table any day is one to admired for beyond superior for most. She is a gracious south lady in every respect. I know she is proud of you too.