Buttermilk Cornbread Dressing - Paula Deen (2024)

FAQs

Why is my cornbread dressing bland? ›

Avoid bland dressing by making sure to include plenty of onions, celery, and herbs in your recipe. Now is not the time to go easy with the sage, thyme, and pepper. The dressing should taste different from your cornbread.

Yes, you can freeze dressing in advance of the Thanksgiving feast. There are two ways to go about it: You can prepare the recipe up until the point of baking, then freeze. Or bake the dressing according to the recipe, allow it to cool completely, and freeze.

Moist: No one likes dry and crumbly cornbread, and thanks to the buttermilk this cornbread is moist and cake-like. Versatile: Use this recipe to make cornbread muffins, or try my other cornbread variations, like skillet cornbread and jalapeño cornbread!

You can use either stock or broth for keeping dressing moist or as a basis for gravy, but a strong flavor will give you better results.

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.

Be sure to leave enough time — the cornbread needs to sit out overnight to harden slightly before you make the dressing.

Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours.

Cook until the center of the dressing reaches 165 degrees. When checked with a food thermometer. Never place frozen dressing or other frozen food in a slow cooker, it will not reach proper safe temperature fast enough.

If you want to avoid a gummy texture in your cornbread dressing, try using less liquid, baking the bread for longer, or mixing the ingredients more thoroughly.

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

What is cornbread and buttermilk called? ›

Also referred to as “crumble-in,” this hearty snack of cornbread doused in milk is beloved among communities in the Southern United States, stretching from Appalachian West Virginia to the heart of Texas.

Sugar and flour were added to accommodate these changes. Even with the addition of flour and sugar, today's Southern cornbread doesn't taste the same as the original versions. To get that old-fashioned taste, Serious Eats insists on using stone-ground cornmeal and eliminating sugar and flour entirely.

The thing about cornbread is that when you get your second piece of cornbread you put it on the plate and cover it with a couple of generous spoonfuls of black eyed peas, creamed corn, or turnip greens. Sugar in the cornbread interferes with the flavor of the vegetables. Don't put sugar in your cornbread!

While oil can make cakes and quick breads luxuriously tender, I find the cornbread lacks flavor if butter isn't present. Because butter doesn't make the bread as moist as oil does, I pair it with buttermilk.

Dried Spices

Keep things easy with a dash of paprika or a sprinkle of cayenne. Or, totally change your stuffing mix with a spice blend like Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, poultry seasoning, adobo or Lawry's.

The Spruce Eats explains that acidic ingredients like white vinegar and lemon juice also can counteract saltiness. If you opt for either of these ingredients, use them sparingly, since too much could turn your stuffing mushy and you'll be left to troubleshoot another stuffing mishap.