| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 day 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 16 to 20 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 batch Skillet Cornbread, recipe follows
- 1/2 loaf French or Italian bread
- 1/2 loaf ciabatta or other crusty artisan brad
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 6 pieces bacon, cut into small pieces
- 5 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 carrots, finely diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed for moistening
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
- On the day before cooking, cut the cornbread, French bread and ciabatta into 1-inch cubes. Spread them out on 2 baking sheets and let them dry for approximately 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Drizzle the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash with olive oil in a roasting pan and roast for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm up a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and bacon pieces. When the bacon is cooked, add the celery, carrots and onions and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, and some salt and pepper and stir until combined. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Get the cooked sprouts and squash out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Place the dried bread cubes into a large bowl and mix them up a bit. Add the roasted Brussels sprouts, squash, pecans and dried cherries and mix.
- Gradually ladle the broth mixture into the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Add a little more salt and pepper, then toss around and taste to check the seasoning. If you like it more moist, splash in more broth until it reaches the consistency that you like.
- Pile the dressing into a large casserole dish and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir together.
- Measure the buttermilk and milk into a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.
- In a small bowl, melt 1/4 cup shortening in the microwave. Slowly add the melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined.
- In a cast-iron skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. (The batter should sizzle.) Spread to even out the surface. Cook on the stovetop for 1 minute, and then transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. The edges should be crispy!
- 2011 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved
Reviews
Although it sounded good, I was afraid this recipe would not be as tasty as the one I normally prepare for Thanksgiving. I could not have been more wrong. It was a hit. Absolutely delicious. I did, however, change out the dried cherries for dried cranberries just because I couldn’t find them at my grocery store. Still, it was a 100!
There are no eggs needed in this stuffing recipe? I’m going to make it today following the recipe exactly, but my mom always puts few beaten eggs in her dressing and then bakes it. Why is this recipe baked since everything in it is and there are no eggs? I’m nervous it’ll dry out in oven?
My son and I loved this dressing. I always make sage dressing andjust thought I wanted something different. I still made my sage dressing but also made this for another side dish. It is good and also very colorful. I couldn’t find dried cherries so I used dried cranberries. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Happy Thanksgiving! From the Bells.
This dressing is so good, I already knew it before I made it. So I made the whole big panful to have plenty of leftovers. Since I had a vegetarian friend come to our Thanksgiving Party, I did not use the bacon, which probably would have made it even better, but it was so good without anyway. Those roasted veggies in there… to die for. Just make sure they get good and caramelized. Thanks for sharing Ree, you’re a genius!!!
Ladies, you always need to adjust TV recipes to your taste and family’s taste buds. Most TV recipes are bland, bland, bland. I follow recipes but I always adjust seasonings to my family’s taste. IJS.
Wasn’t bad, but it needed a lot more salt / seasoning then the recipe called for. As it reads, it’s really bland.
It didn’t take me 25 hrs 25 min to make this
Since I am a yankee, I have never had cornbread stuffing. I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! It makes a huge amount but it is great as leftovers. I pretty much followed the recipe to a T. Try it, your kids may even like the veggies in it!
This dressing/stuffing side was THE hit of my Thanksgiving dinner! It made a large baking dish full plus a smaller 8″ baking dish and I thought it was going to be too much – not a chance! Everyone took seconds and some guests even asked for small take-home containers of it. The colors and flavors were superb and I love the incorporation of dried fruits and the roasted veggies. I followed the recipe as written with the addition of some dried cranberries along with the cherries. I also didn’t need quite all of the broth called for. This is my new Thanksgiving go-to side from now on!
This is an awesome dressing/side dish! If I had to choose one side and only one side to go with my turkey, it would be this dressing! I made exactly as the recipe stated with one exception — I added dried cranberries instead of dried cherries — just because I had them on hand. Love, love, love Ree’s recipes and her happy laid-back style of cooking!