Yankee Cornbread Stuffing

Do you have stuffing or dressing for Thanksgiving? My family has always had traditional stuffing. What is known in the South as Yankee Stuffing. Of course, my Mom makes the best Yankee Stuffing ever! Dried bread cubes with aromatic veggies, herbs and broth; baked in a casserole dish.

Cornbread Dressing is traditional in the South for Thanksgiving. It is more like a pudding, with lots of eggs and butter, cornbread and broth, and it is delicious. My Mother-In-Law makes the most amazing Cornbread Dressing ever! As we are not giving thanks with my husband’s side of the family, we won’t have it this year.

Most of my extended family prefers Yankee Stuffing so that is what I’ll be making on Thanksgiving. I developed this recipe a few years ago as a compromise, it is made the way Yankee Stuffing is usually made, but I add cornbread to the bread mix.

I posted earlier about making the bread here:  Cornbread and Loaf Bread Recipes

And posted about making the turkey stock/broth here: Turkey Stock Recipe

Do you make dressing or stuffing for Thanksgiving? What do you do to personalize it?

Yankee Cornbread Stuffing for a Crowd

10-12 cups dried bread cubes

3 cups onion, chopped (I use a sweet onion, like Vidalia)

2 cups granny smith apples, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped (include the leafy tops)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted but not hot

1 tablespoon salt

5-6 cups low sodium or no sodium turkey broth (or chicken broth)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Saute onion, apple and celery in 1/4 cup olive oil over low heat about 5 minutes or until veggies are soft and translucent. Add chopped sage, thyme and rosemary and heat one minute more. Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Place dried bread cubes in a large casserole dish. Toss with eggs, butter, salt, the sauteed veggies and herbs and stir to mix. Now add broth, one cup at a time, stirring after each cup until you reach desired bread sogginess level.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until edges begin to crisp. Serves 20-24 people.

Tips:

Don’t use hot broth or you’ll cook the eggs when you add it to the mixture and end up with scrambled egg in your stuffing!

If you use no sodium broth, salt it to taste before you mix it in with the stuffing.