Paula Deen Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Paula Deen’s cornbread dressing combines three bread elements: from-scratch cornbread, oven-dried white bread, and saltine crackers. Five beaten eggs and seven cups of stock bind the mixture before it bakes at 350°F. The recipe serves 10 and takes about 90 minutes, including the cornbread bake and a cooling period.

Paula Deen published this on her site as “Southern Cornbread Stuffing,” though the dressing/stuffing name is regional. The three-bread base is what sets her version apart: from-scratch cornbread, dried white bread, and saltine crackers. Together they give the pan a firmer body that holds a clean slice.

The cornbread needs to cool completely before going into the dressing, and overnight is better than just a few hours. Warm cornbread holds steam, so when it hits the stock and eggs, the dressing turns dense instead of absorbing the liquid properly. Cold, dry crumbled cornbread lets the seven cups of stock soak in evenly.

Paula Deen Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Author: Sandra Cooking Method:Oven Cuisine:American Courses:Side Dishes

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:1 hour Rest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 30 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:10 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:350 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Seven eggs go into this in total: two for the cornbread base, five for the dressing itself. Both sage and poultry seasoning are optional, so the base recipe is neutral enough to serve year-round, not just at Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Cornbread

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• ½ cup self-rising flour
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Dressing

• 7 slices white bread, oven-dried
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers
• 8 tbsp butter
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp sage (optional)
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning (optional)
• 5 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, 2 beaten eggs, and vegetable oil until combined. Pour into a greased cast iron skillet and bake for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through. Cool completely before using, preferably overnight
2. Dry the 7 slices of white bread in a 300°F oven for 15–20 minutes, or leave them out uncovered overnight until fully dried.
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Crumble the cooled cornbread, dried white bread, and saltine crackers into a large mixing bowl.
   
5. Add the sautéed celery and onion, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and optional sage and poultry seasoning. Stir to combine.
6. Add the 5 beaten eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 45–60 minutes, until the top is set and lightly browned.

Keywords:Paula Deen Cornbread Dressing Recipe

FAQs

Can I use less than 7 cups of chicken stock?

Seven cups is the amount the recipe calls for, and the pan looks very wet before it goes in the oven. Some reviewers on Paula Deen’s site reduced it by one cup and got a firmer, less moist result. Start at six cups on your first batch, then adjust based on how it comes out.

Can I use store-bought cornbread instead of making it from scratch?

Store-bought works, but it has to be an unsweetened, savory variety, not a sweet Northern-style cornbread. Sweet cornbread tips the dressing’s flavor in the wrong direction since the base recipe has no added sugar to balance it. A plain, unsweetened box mix is the closest substitute, but the recipe’s from-scratch cornbread gives the best texture.

Can I add sausage to Paula Deen’s cornbread dressing?

Sausage works well here and goes in during the vegetable sauté step. Brown about half a pound of crumbled breakfast sausage with the celery and onion, drain the fat, and stir it into the bread mixture with the vegetables. Bacon works too: cook it separately, crumble it into the bread base, and reduce the salt slightly.

What goes well alongside this on a Southern holiday table?

Black-eyed peas are a natural companion since they finish on the stovetop while the dressing bakes, so both are ready at the same time. Paula Deen’s version uses bacon and onion and comes together in about 45 minutes, which lines up with the dressing’s oven time. Her black-eyed peas with bacon at sandrakitchen.com covers the full stovetop method.

What can I make with the leftover buttermilk from the cornbread?

The buttermilk left over from the cornbread is the exact amount you need for Paula Deen’s biscuits and gravy. Her version uses buttermilk biscuits from scratch with a simple sausage gravy, and both come together quickly enough for a holiday breakfast. The buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy at sandrakitchen.com has both components in one place.