Herbed Cornbread Dressing
Recipe Date:
November 17, 2020
Serving Size:
8
Cook Time:
03:30:00
Difficulty:
Medium
Measurements:
Imperial (US)
This recipe, based on the Martha Stewart classic, has been a part of our Thanksgiving feast for decades and is a family favorite. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do and it becomes a part of your holiday tradition! While this recipe may seem intimidating at first due to the number of ingredients, once you get in the kitchen and start making it you'll find it easy to manage just by following the steps. A few helpful notes to start with;
- Cooking times will vary depending on whether you are baking cornbread muffins or a loaf.
- Make the cornbread and soak the raisins (see Dressing recipe below) the day before.
- We understand that many people do not want to stuff the turkey. This stuffing can be baked in the oven in a casserole dish which we do every year as this is a family favorite and we always make extra. See below for instructions.
- If you do not eat pork, we suggest using chicken or turkey sausage.
Why This Pairing Works
Like the Perfect Roast Turkey, this dish pairs well with either our Chardonnay or our Pinot Noir. The cornmeal and dairy in the cornbread base of the stuffing find matching flavors from the oak and slight buttery note in the chardonnay. In the stuffing, the apples highlight the fruit flavors in the wine and the chestnuts reinforce the oaky notes to create a harmonious flavor experience. If you prefer a glass of red with your holiday meal, our Estate Pinot Noir pairs just as perfectly with this dish. The earthy and herbaceous notes in the wine will bring out the clove, sage, marjoram, and cayenne in the dressing. On the finish you'll notice the wine highlight the Cognac soaked raisins as the three grape-based flavors play in concert (Cognac is distilled from wine made with a grape called Ugni Blanc).
- Cooking times will vary depending on whether you are baking cornbread muffins or a loaf.
- Make the cornbread and soak the raisins (see Dressing recipe below) the day before.
- We understand that many people do not want to stuff the turkey. This stuffing can be baked in the oven in a casserole dish which we do every year as this is a family favorite and we always make extra. See below for instructions.
- If you do not eat pork, we suggest using chicken or turkey sausage.
Why This Pairing Works
Like the Perfect Roast Turkey, this dish pairs well with either our Chardonnay or our Pinot Noir. The cornmeal and dairy in the cornbread base of the stuffing find matching flavors from the oak and slight buttery note in the chardonnay. In the stuffing, the apples highlight the fruit flavors in the wine and the chestnuts reinforce the oaky notes to create a harmonious flavor experience. If you prefer a glass of red with your holiday meal, our Estate Pinot Noir pairs just as perfectly with this dish. The earthy and herbaceous notes in the wine will bring out the clove, sage, marjoram, and cayenne in the dressing. On the finish you'll notice the wine highlight the Cognac soaked raisins as the three grape-based flavors play in concert (Cognac is distilled from wine made with a grape called Ugni Blanc).
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup melted butter, cooled
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 recipe for Cornbread (above ingredients; prepared the day before)
- 1/2 cup dark raisins
- 1/2 cup cognac
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chopped tart apples
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 15 oz can chestnuts, drained and chopped; or 2 pounds freshly roasted and peeled chestnuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp dried sage leaves
- 2 tsps dried marjoram leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
Directions
Directions for Cornbread
- Heat oven to 400.
- Combine cornmeal, flower, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix milk, butter, and eggs in medium-size bowl. Stir milk mixture into cornmeal mixture just until moistened.
- Pour batter into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan or spoon into tiny muffin pans. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes for loaf, 18-20 minutes for muffins. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.
Directions for Stuffing
- Make cornbread 1 day in advance. Cut into cubes; reserve.
- Soak raisins in cognac overnight.
- In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and shallots; cook until sausage is brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in apples and celery; cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Combine corn bread cubes, raisin mixture, sausage mixture, and remaining ingredients except for eggs. Toss; stir in eggs.
Traditional Stuffing
If you stuff your turkey, we recommend lining the cavity of the turkey with a thin layer of cheesecloth. Place stuffing inside the cheesecloth and tie the cheesecloth with twine. This makes taking the stuffing out of the turkey a breeze.
Oven Baked Dressing
- Heat oven to 350.
- Grease the casserole dish with butter or Canola oil cooking spray. Put dressing in a casserole dish. Dribble 3/4 cup of turkey broth over the dish (optional). The turkey broth keeps the dressing from drying out in the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Put foil over the top if it’s getting too dark.
