Southern-Style Homemade Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 55 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour, 35 minutes
Servings:
8 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups buttermilk
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 2 cups diced sweet onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced yellow or orange bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup chopped raw pecans
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 5 cups chicken stock
Directions
  1. Preheat an oven to 400 F.
  2. Coat the inside of a 10-inch cast iron skillet with the vegetable oil.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and pepper.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until smooth.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined.
  6. Stir in the melted butter and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
  7. While the batter is resting, heat the cast iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately add the batter, smoothing the top.
  9. Bake the cornbread for about 25 minutes until it's golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Remove the cornbread from the oven and cool it completely on a rack (about 1 hour).
  11. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  12. Cut the cooled cornbread into cubes.
  13. Spread the cubes on the prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside.
  14. Bush the butter on the inside of a casserole dish.
  15. Wipe clean the cast iron skillet and place it over medium heat.
  16. Add the bacon and cook until crisp.
  17. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels.
  18. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and salt to the bacon drippings in the skillet and saute over medium-low heat until the vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes). Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.
  19. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
  20. In a large bowl, combine the cornbread cubes, vegetables, pecans, sage, thyme, and chopped bacon.
  21. Gently stir in the stock until moistened.
  22. Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and cover it with foil.
  23. Bake the dressing for 30 minutes, then remove the foil.
  24. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is browned and crispy.
  25. Remove the dressing from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  26. Serve the dressing with your favorite meats or other sides.