Nathan's Cornbread Dressing
A holiday favorite! You MUST READ ALL of the instructions. There are simple but crucial instructions there.
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ½ |
cornbread
see the recipe for Nathan's Cornbread, day old and crumbled |
* | |
| 1 | large |
onions
diced and sauteed |
|
| 1 | bunch |
celery
diced and sauteed |
*
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
salt
or to taste |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
black pepper
or to taste |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
sage leaves
use ground sage, see instructions VERY IMPORTANT! |
*
|
| 6 | large |
eggs
hard boiled, use as many as you like |
*
|
| 2 | quarts |
vegetable stock
or any stock |
*
|
| Nathan's cornbread (dressing variation) | |||
| 2 | cups |
cornmeal
self-rising |
|
| 2 | cups |
self-rising flour
|
|
| 2 | cups |
milk
|
|
| 4 | large |
eggs
lightly beaten |
*
|
| ½ | cup |
corn oil
or any vegetable oil, heated in a cast iron skillet |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | x |
cornbread
see the recipe for Nathan's Cornbread, day old and crumbled |
* |
| 1 | large |
onions
diced and sauteed |
|
| 1 | head |
celery
diced and sauteed |
*
|
| 5 | ml |
salt
or to taste |
|
| 5 | ml |
black pepper
or to taste |
|
| 15 | ml |
sage leaves
use ground sage, see instructions VERY IMPORTANT! |
*
|
| 6 | x |
eggs
hard boiled, use as many as you like |
*
|
| 2 | quarts |
vegetable stock
or any stock |
*
|
| Nathan's cornbread (dressing variation) | |||
| 473 | ml |
cornmeal
self-rising |
|
| 473 | ml |
self-rising flour
|
|
| 473 | ml |
milk
|
|
| 4 | x |
eggs
lightly beaten |
*
|
| 118 | ml |
corn oil
or any vegetable oil, heated in a cast iron skillet |
|
Directions
We have a BIG family so this recipe makes a BIG portion. Thankfully the ingredients can be halved if you don't require as much. This recipe is just the right size for a whole steam table size pan.
Most of this can and even should be prepared a day or two beforehand. The sauteed vegetables and the cornbread do well this way.
For the cornbread:
Preheat the oven to 425.
Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet while you mix the other ingredients in a large bowl. Then CAREFULLY pour the hot oil into the mix and stir until well mixed. Pour the mixture back into the skillet and cook until the top is golden brown. (About 25 to 30 minutes.)
For the dressing: Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Crumble the cornbread into the pan.
This is where you MUST PAY ATTENTION!
You can use any kind of broth you like. I have used store bought broths as well as broth from the cooked turkey. I haven't used beef broth but since it's for poultry I figured best not to. The KEY is to use the right amount of it. Use only enough broth to make the cornbread crumbles very...slightly...soupy.
Then add the sauteed vegetables. Mix thoroughly.
Add boiled eggs, salt and pepper to taste.
It's important to do all this before adding the sage.
And FINALLY the secret to well seasoned dressing. You CAN'T use exactly the same amount of sage every time. It depends on how old it is. The older it is the weaker the taste. That's why I recommend using ground sage. You can control the portion better and it mixes faster. Mix some in the dressing and let it sit for a few minutes then taste it. It won't get stronger tasting during cooking so when it's right cold, it will be right cooked!
