Description
Rich Southern cornbread stuffing celebrates southern comfort cooking with layers of flavor from crumbled cornbread, herbs, and savory sausage. Paula Deen’s classic recipe brings southern hospitality to holiday tables you’ll want to savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 9 eggs (7 beaten, 2 for cornbread)
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 8 tbsps (½ cup) butter
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 large chopped onion
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 7 slices oven-dried white bread
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers
- 1 cup self rising cornmeal
- ½ cup self rising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp optional sage
- 1 tbsp optional poultry seasoning
- to taste freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bread Preparation: Crumble cornbread, white bread slices, and saltine crackers into a large mixing bowl, creating a textured bread foundation.
- Vegetable Sautéing: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then gently sauté chopped celery and onions until translucent and fragrant, releasing their subtle flavors and softening their texture.
- Mixture Integration: Combine sautéed vegetables with crumbled bread, then introduce chicken stock to moisten the mixture. Season with salt, black pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning, blending flavors thoroughly.
- Egg Incorporation: Whisk eggs until smooth, then fold into the bread and vegetable mixture, ensuring a uniform consistency and rich, binding texture.
- Baking Preparation: Grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray, then spread the stuffing mixture evenly across the surface, creating a level base for even cooking.
- Oven Transformation: Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 45-60 minutes, allowing the top to develop a golden-brown crust while the interior becomes firm and fully cooked, developing a perfect balance of crispy exterior and moist interior.
Notes
- Bread Variety Matters: Mix different bread types for a complex, textural stuffing that adds depth and interesting mouthfeel to your dish.
- Sauté with Precision: Cook vegetables until translucent to release natural sugars and develop a rich, subtle flavor foundation for the stuffing.
- Moisture is Key: Add chicken stock gradually to control wetness, preventing a soggy or dry stuffing – aim for a perfectly moist consistency.
- Seasoning Balance: Taste and adjust seasonings incrementally, ensuring sage and poultry seasoning complement without overwhelming the other ingredients.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 220mg