When it comes to the holidays, you just can’t have turkey without dressing, but who has the time to make it from scratch? You do.
First, a tip that I first learned from my dear Granny a long time ago. When you have leftover cornbread or a slice or two of any kind of bread that is starting to go stale, don’t toss it in the trash! Toss it in the freezer in a zipper bag instead. This is how I avoid waste and having bake cornbread just for this recipe. Then, when you are ready to put together your cornbread dressing recipe, pull it out of the freezer, let it thaw for a few and cut it into cubes.
This is a great make-ahead dish that will save you a lot of time on the holiday. I don’t let holiday cooking get the best of me because I spend a few minutes of the days leading up to the big meal making everything ahead of time that I can. To make my cornbread dressing ahead of time, prepare the recipe as directed below, then cover with foil and freeze. Take it out the night before and bake according to the directions.
- 3 cups cornbread cubes
- 1½ cups bread cubes
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
- 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 small-medium)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ Tablespoons dried sage
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1½ – 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- Slowly sauté onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat until softened but not browned.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken broth and fold together gently with a spatula until well combined.
- Add enough chicken broth to moisten the contents, but not leave it wet. You may need anywhere between 1½ or 2 cups of broth.
- Bake uncovered at 400 F degrees for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Looks yummy! Good tip about saving the bread!