How do you ‘do your dressing’ for Thanksgiving?

There’s more than one way to “skin a cat”, and there are more ways than that to make dressing and the cornbread that goes in it.
The majority of dressing recipes submitted since 2008 have included chicken rather than turkey, but we’ve had one using a wild turkey and a couple for duck.
There have also been a couple for cooking it in the crockpot.

The consensus for the number of eggs seems to be four, but there have been a few calling for six, and less than that for none.
Some cooks say freeze your cornbread, and some say freeze your dressing. Some say use sage, others poultry seasoning. One told me black pepper is a key ingredient.
Four tablespoons of Old Plantation sausage seasoning was recommended by Velala Langford, who learned that from her mother, Dottie Parker.
I was intrigued by Donna Liles’ spicy dressing using jalapenos and red pepper was shared by her daughter, Jennifer Cain.

And I will always remember learning of Julia Brummett’s method of cooking her onions in the cornbread, saving herself a sauteeing step.
One of my favorite things is when I hear about someone learning to make their mother or grandmother’s dressing and “inheriting” the job of making it for their holiday family gatherings.
So many dressing recipes… I wish that I could taste them all.

Dressing
L.T. Spearman 2008
1 whole chicken
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 clove garlic
3 stalks celery
2 Tbsp. ground sage
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash table blend
Cornbread for dressing: 1 egg, 2 cups corn meal, 1/2 cup flour, 2 tsp. oil
Boil one whole chicken. After chicken is done, take it out of broth. Pour half the broth into a different container. Half of the broth should stay in boiler. Add bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic to chicken broth in boiler. Let this cook until done. After cornbread is done, mix it with broth mixture into casserole dish or aluminum pan. Take chicken off bone and add to cornbread and broth mixture. Add sage and Mrs. Dash, and season to taste. After mixing everything together, if dressing is still dry, add extra broth that was put into separate container. Bake at 350° for 30 minuites.

Cauliflower Cornbread Dressing
Carol Clark Cowsert 2009
2 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg white
2 tsp. oil
Mix all ingredients together and bake in pre-heated, lightly greased cast-iron skillet on 425° until done. Then you will need: 4 cups cooked cauliflower cut into large pieces (cooked until fork tender), 5 cups crumbled cornbread (from above recipe), 1 medium diced onion (one cup), 1 cup diced celery (cooked in microwavable bowl until tender) then added to the following ingredients: 1 can fat-free chicken broth, 1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup, 3 egg whites, 1 tsp. sage, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper. Mix all above ingredients in large mixing bowl until combined well and pour into 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook 30-40 minutes, then lightly stir and taste. Add any salt, pepper or sage as needed. Cook additional 30 minutes. Dressing will be moist due to ingredient of cauliflower. Cook until desired consistency. You can add white meat turkey or chicken.

Dressing
Cleo Moore by Johnnie Edmond 2010
Cornbread
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can celery soup
5 stalks celery
4 raw eggs
2 large onions
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper
Sage to taste
2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth (may use canned broth)
Chicken or turkey (optional)
Cook meat of choice (turkey and chicken.) Save 2 1/2 cups broth and put aside. Cook cornbread. When done, add all other ingredients. Boil onion and celery 15 minutes. Add to bread and soup mixture the sage, salt and pepper to taste. Add eggs. Debone chicken. Add broth. Cook until golden brown two hours at 375° or until done.

Turkey & Dressing
June Swanson Mize 2011
Thaw turkey. Rub it down with butter. Salt and pepper it inside out. Place turkey breast upside down in greased pan big enough to hold juices. Cover with foil. Place in oven at 200-250° for 6-8 hours or until cooked, depending on size of turkey.
Dressing:
1 or 2 large black skillets of cornbread
4 large eggs
1 stick butter
2 or more cans chicken broth
Broth drained from turkey
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1/4 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 or more large onions, chopped
1 small container poultry seasoning
2 tsp. basil or parsley, or both
Combine turkey broth, chicken broth, butter, bell pepper, celery, onion and seasonings. Put on stove and bring to a boil. when onions have cooked, start adding crumbled up cornbread. While stirring your mixture, add beaten eggs slowly. Cook about 10 more minutes, then put in oven and bake at 350° until top is brown.

Cornbread Dressing
Pearlie Harrelson by Dot Hardin 2012
Boil fresh chicken breasts (with onion, or use onion salt)
Cornbread recipe: 2 cups self-rising meal, 1/2 cup self-rising flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda (with buttermilk) OR 1/2 tsp. baking powder (with sweet milk), 2 eggs beaten, 2 Tbsp. oil
Mix with milk to a good texture. Bake at 400° until light brown on top. Cool and crumble.
Dressing:
1 stick margarine, melted
4 boiled eggs, chopped
3 slices loaf bread (toasted and crumbled)
2 raw eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Use poultry seasoning or sage (to your taste)
3-4 pints broth
1 can celery soup
1 cup chopped chicken breast or more if needed. Bake at 400° until your desired texture.

Cornbread Dressing
Mary Sue Wells 2013
1 onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1-6 oz. box Stove Top stuffing, chicken flavor
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-10” skillet cooked cornbread
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
Chicken broth, warmed
In large pot, combine onion, celery and butter. Saute vegetables until soft. Add Stove Top stuffing mix and the soups. Add crumbled cornbread to soup mixture while cornbread is still hot. Add some warm broth, one cup at a time, to cornbread mixture. It make take two cans of broth. Pour mixture into greased 9×13 pan. Bake in preheated 400° oven until very brown, about 45 minutes. Dressing should be slightly firm, but very moist. (I make this dressing sometimes for a different flavor.)

Wild Duck Dressing
Shirley Bratton 2014
1/2 to 1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stick butter, melted
2 wild ducks, cooked and deboned (I use four duck breasts cut up fine)
1 skillet of cornbread, crumbled (recipe: 2 cups cornmeal, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Preheat oven to 420°. Pour enough oil in black skillet to cover. Mix ingredients then pour into hot skillet. Bake 25 minutes.)
1 can cream of chicken soup
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 eggs
Sage to taste
Duck broth or chicken broth
Saute celery and onion in melted butter until tender or cook in microwave for about five minutes. Combine this mixture with remaining ingredients, adding enough duck broth to reach desired consistency. (Dressing should be soupy.) Pour mixture into large baking dish. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to one hour.

Chicken Dressing
Nona Meadows by Wanda Meadows 2015
1 large onion
6 eggs
1 skillet cornbread
1 whole chicken, boiled and deboned
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. sage
1 Tbsp. shortening
Boil chicken. Keep broth. Make large skillet of cornbread. Crumble cornbread in bowl. Stirring constantly, add eggs. Add salt, pepper, sage and onion. Add shortening and chicken. Add broth until it is all moist. Bake at 350° in preheated oven until bubbly and golden brown.

Chicken & Dressing
Tania Nelson 2016
Cornbread: 3 cups self-rising cornmeal, 1 cup self-rising flour, 6 eggs, 1 Tbsp. sugar, dash of salt, approximately 1 cup milk (enough to make slightly soupy)
Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly grease 8” baking dish. In large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar and salt. In separate bowl, mix together eggs and milk. Pour milk mixture into cornmeal mixture and fold together until there are no dry spots (batter will still be lumpy). Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into middle of cornbread comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
4 frozen biscuits cooked
4 slices bread
1/2 pkg. saltine crackers
1 bundle green onions, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
3 sticks butter
2 whole chickens and 2 or 3 chicken breasts boiled with 1 stick butter (save broth) removed from bone
Sage, salt and pepper to taste
Extra chicken broth
Crumble cornbread, bread, crackers and biscuits. Mix well. Add soups and pour chicken broth over mixture until soupy, mixing well. Add onions and shredded chicken. Mix well. Add sage, salt and pepper to taste. Melt one stick of butter and mix. Pour one stick of butter over the top. It is best if you mix and refrigerate overnight. Cook at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until desired color and consistency.

Crockpot Dressing
Penny Nichols 2017
1 pan cornbread
6 slices of bread
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
4 eggs, beaten
1 small can white chicken meat
4 Tbsp. butter
Sage, salt and pepper to taste
Crumble breads. Add other ingredients. Cook in crockpot two hours on high; 3-4 hours on low.

Wild Turkey Dressing
Betty Box 2009
1 wild turkey
3/4 gallon water
Salt and pepper
2 pans prepared cornbread
Poultry seasoning
1 medium onion
4 eggs, well beaten
Place turkey and water in large stock pot on stovetop and boil until tender. Remove turkey and allow to cool. Set aside broth for later. Once turkey has cooled, remove bones and set aside. Crumble cornbread into large bowl and pour broth over cornbread. Make sure mixture is not too thick because it will thicken as it cooks. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Add onions, eggs and turkey meat. Mix well. Pour mixture into large baking pan and bake at 350° until set and browned.

Chicken Dressing
Beverly Poynor by Kathy Poynor 2009
4 chicken breasts (reserve broth)
Cornbread, crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken
Sausage seasoning to suit taste
2 or 3 pieces of loaf bread crumbled
2 sticks butter/margarine melted
4 eggs beaten
Boil chicken breast in salt water until done. Shdred chicken when cool enough to handle. Crumble cornbread and loaf bread into dressing pan. Mix remaining ingredients well. Cook in preheated 400° oven until golden on top and middle is no longer liquid.