Mother-In-Law Thanksgiving Dressing

Thanksgiving is very much an American holiday that I am VERY thankful my parents adapted to way long before my brother and I were born. But of course, any excuse to be in a kitchen cooking as a family for us! Im not sure what my favorite dish of the night is. I absolutely love it all! What I love the most about our Thanksgiving is that mom made sure we had all the traditional dishes on the table but with non-traditional ways of cooking or flavors. For example, she literally debones the turkey without tearing it apart to pieces, then stuffs every inch of it with her homemade stuffing made of vegetables and pork, and then sews it up with thread and toothpicks and finally roasts it while basting it with a homemade sauce for hours! Like what?! I promise, I will share my mothers stuffing with you all one day soon but for now, let me share my favorite part of the in-laws Thanksgiving… Dressing!

First of all… Dressing or Stuffing??

For me, I agree with the technical term that stuffing is defined as “a mixture used to stuff another food, traditionally poultry, before cooking.” Whereas dressing is cooked in a pan outside of the turkey cavity. BUT, depending on where you’re from, there is no technical. It is simply a family term which you have to very much respect.

So with that said, this is what will make this DRESSING recipe perfect… I will type it up exactly how my mother in law gave it to me. Why? Because there are times you don’t change a mothers recipe. You just need to follow it with love, as she wrote it for you, and trust that it will one day turn out as perfect as she makes it!

Tips

Making the cornbread ahead of time is essential! Trust me

Stalk of celery vs a rib of celery are two different things. The entire bunch of celery is actually the celery stalk, and a single stick from that stalk is called a rib. I am stating this because at one point I thought differently (don’t judge).

Your mixture will be soupy prior to baking. You did not do anything wrong! This will allow you to slow cook the dish without drying out completely.

Like every good mother, there is no such thing as measured salt, pepper, and sage to this recipe. Taste to your liking. With that said, sage will become more powerful as it cooks. So do not over do!

You will stir every 15-20 minutes. Stir from the outside in. The center will be the last thing to cook and you do not want a mushy center with burnt sides! As you stir, bring the outside inwards.

And the number one tip… It is Thanksgiving. Use that aluminum roasting pan for easy clean up! 😉

Ingredients

Cornbread mix(s) – See directions below
Package of Pepperidge Farm-Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
2 medium to large onions – chopped
1 whole stalk of celery – chopped
3 eggs lightly beaten
Milk (add amount to desired consistency)
2 boxes chicken broth (62 oz total) I use the one with reduced sodium
salt (add to taste)
pepper (add to taste)
rubbed sage (add to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Make a 9×13 pan of cornbread from cornbread mix of your choice following package directions or homemade. (I use 3 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix). You should make it a couple of days before making dressing.
Boil celery and onions in enough chicken broth to cover (about 32 oz). Cook until tender. Set aside.
Spray pan with cooking spray and crumble cornbread in pan. Add stuffing mix and combine. Add boiled celery and onions (including any broth), and eggs. Mix well.
Add in enough milk and additional chicken broth, alternating between the two. It will come to a thick somewhat soupy consistency.
Season with salt, pepper, and sage. Remember that the flavor from the sage will increase in intensity as it cooks.
Bake at 350 until middle is done (about 1 hr – 1 hr 15). Stir entire mixture with a big spoon every 15-20 minutes so the outside edges don’t over cook before the middle is set. Stir from the outside in. This keeps it from becoming dry and hard.
Enjoy with family and friends!