- HubPages»
- Food and Cooking»
- Main Dish & Side Dish Recipes»
- Vegetable Main & Side Dish Recipes
Clean Eating Homemade Cornbread Dressing
This is my famous cornbread dressing. Thanksgiving is simply not the same without it.
Oh, I’ve had several unfortunate Thanksgiving dinners without my cornbread dressing. I think Stovetop was always served instead. Big mistake! Of course it was easy to make, but most of it was also still there at the end of the meal, and it just felt like something was missing. I’ve even tried making some of the fancy dressing recipes on the internet and in all of the cooking magazines, and still, it just wasn’t my cornbread dressing.
Last year, I think, was the first time my new family allowed me to make my cornbread dressing for the holiday dinner, and it was a smash hit. I was called a month ahead of time this year to ask if I could make it again.
Different Types of Cornbread
Even cornbread is a little bit different in everyone’s hands. Some people like it without sugar, some like it with just a touch of sugar, and some, like me and my husband, like it very sweet.
Many cornbread recipes add tons of spices, some add jalapenos and other peppers, and some even add fruit. So even if you try and make cornbread recipe on your own, it may not be the same as mine, as the flavor of the dressing comes from the cornbread itself.
Different Types and Uses for Dressing/Stuffing
There are even different types and uses for dressing/stuffing. Stuffing/dressing is such a personal thing and can come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. As you can see, it even goes by different names.
I call mine dressing because I don’t stuff it into anything but my mouth, and maybe a sandwich after the holidays. Some people like it light, airy and crumbly, and others like it to be thick, solid and able to be cut into squares for serving.
Some people are strictly stuffers, stuffing it into their turkeys, or even turduckens (What is a turducken?) for the big meal. While others like to strictly serve it on the side, like we do. Some people even do a combination of both to make everyone happy.
Dressing/stuffing can even be made with a variety of ingredients. Many traditional stuffing recipes are made with oysters. Many more are made with a variety of interesting vegetables, like mushrooms, and/or even fruit. You can even find plenty of recipes using wheat bread, white bread, French bread, English muffins, flavored breads, cornbread, or a mixture of two or more of the above breads.
You can even simply purchase the Stovetop stuffing mixes from a box, but I don’t recommend it. There are more ingredients in that one box than you would even willingly add to your recipe, and none of the preferred ones. Regardless of which varieties and ingredients you are used to for your holiday meal, this scrumptious but easy homemade cornbread recipe is definitely one you’ll want to give a shot this Thanksgiving or Christmas.
You’ll never forgive yourself for not having discovered this earlier.
Quick Poll
With all the dressing/stuffing options out there, which is your favorite?
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups organic cornmeal
- 2 cups coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt
- 7 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups whole organic milk
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 cups chicken broth, homemade preferred
- 2 large onions
- 1 bunch celery stalks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare two pie dishes by greasing them with some coconut oil.
- You're essentially going to simply be making cornbread twice. Two bowls, two pie dishes, but baking them both at the same time. Only then will you combine them. Two is just too much to cook together at the same time.
- So in two large bowls, mixing half of each ingredient in each bowl, add your flour and cornmeal.
- Repeat with all dry ingredients, mixing half of each ingredient listed in each bowl.
- Now start mixing all of your wet ingredients in: eggs, milk and melted coconut oil.
- Mix each thoroughly and them pour them into your prepared pie dishes, one mixture per pie dish.
- I normally bake one cornbread for 30 minutes. However because you’re baking two cornbread recipes at the same time, you may want to increase the baking time to 40-45. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each comes out clean and the top of each is golden brown.
- While these are cooking, chop your onions and celery, and prepare a large 9x13 inch casserole by greasing it with coconut oil.
- When your cornbread is done, and cooled, crumble it into your large dish. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Pour your celery and onion evenly over the top and mix it in with your hands.
- Finally, pour your chicken broth over the top of all of it and mix it in thoroughly with your hands, distributing the liquid throughout your dressing.
- If you wish, season it with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes more, until golden brown on top.
- Yum! This is my favorite Thanksgiving dish!
Nutritional Information
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1/2 cup | |
| Calories | 125 |
| Calories from Fat | 90 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 10 g | 15% |
| Saturated fat 6 g | 30% |
| Unsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Carbohydrates 6 g | 2% |
| Sugar 1 g | |
| Fiber 1 g | 4% |
| Protein 2 g | 4% |
| Cholesterol 62 mg | 21% |
| Sodium 493 mg | 21% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
You can stuff it into your turkey, if you choose, instead of putting it into the oven directly, but I like it separately on the side. Keep in mind that your dressing will be semi-moist. It should not be dry. Only the top layer will be a little crunchy. Expect everything else to be soft. Even after baking, it remains light and crumbly and beautifully textural.
I like making plenty of both turkey and dressing so that even after the holidays, we can have turkey and dressing sandwiches to our heart’s content. The food, the fun, and the family make this my absolute favorite time of the year. By making enough to have for at least a few months after (this dressing freezes incredibly and it does not alter the taste or texture of it), I get to preserve and enjoy all of these feelings again and again for as long as possible.
My husband and I have even been known to make another turkey and another pan of dressing on New Year’s Eve so that we have plenty to carry us into the New Year. Since we’ve started spending the holidays with our grandparents and the rest of the family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, which we wouldn’t trade for anything, we have had no leftovers here at home.
It may sound crazy, but holiday leftovers are just as much a tradition in our home as spending the holidays with our family, and putting up a Christmas tree. And this cornbread dressing is at the center of it.
Check out some of my other traditional homemade treats that are just as important to the meal, like my Homemade Turkey Gravy and my Homemade Cranberry Sauce. I know you’ll enjoy them!!
What is "Clean Eating"?
Clean Eating simply means that I don't use any processed foods or refined ingredients in my recipes. I avoid pre-packaged mixes and ingredients, and instead use all-natural wholesome ingredients, and food items that I have either grown, canned, or preserved myself here at home. You can rest assured that all of my clean eating recipes are loaded with nutritious goodness. There's no need for any guilt when eating anything or feeding it to your family.
© 2013 Victoria Van Ness
