This recipe is close to my heart. Granny Rae showed me that family isn’t always about blood — it’s about love. Her dressing reminds me that food carries our stories, our memories, and our hearts to the table. It’s the kind of stuffing that smells like home — a combination of white bread and cornbread soaked with savory broth, onions, and celery, seasoned simply with black pepper and sage. Nothing fancy, just perfect. The texture lands right between tender and toasty, with a golden crust that begs to be topped with a drizzle of turkey gravy.
Active time: 30 min • Total time: 75 min
One 9x13-inch baking dish (~9 cups)
¾–1 cup
8-10
Ingredients
- Butter or oil, for greasing pan
- 1 loaf white bread, toasted on both sides
- ½ of a 9-inch pan of cornbread, crumbled
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- 2 tsp celery seed
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp dried sage
- Salt, to taste
- Lots of black pepper — just like Granny said!
Sourcing Tips:
Come see us at Local Pastures to get all the ingredients listed below:
- For the white bread, I recommend Texas French Bread’s Sliced Loaf
- For the cornbread, homemade with Barton Springs Mill’s cornmeal is best, but a boxed mix will work in a pinch; just keep it lightly sweet.
- Dried sage from Hopefull Farms
- Belle Vie’s turkey or chicken broth
- And Shirttail Creek’s eggs, of course!
Instructions
- Get set (3 min)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- b. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or oil and set aside.
- Toast the Bread (10–12 min)
- Cut the loaf of bread into slices and arrange the pieces in a single layer on baking sheets.
- Toast in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until both sides are lightly golden and dry to the touch — like sturdy toast, not browned croutons.
- Crumble the Breads (5 min)
- Let the toasted bread cool slightly, then tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Crumble in ½ pan of cornbread and combine both in a large mixing bowl.
- Simmer the Vegetables (7 min) In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped onion, celery, and celery seed with broth. Simmer over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant.
- Combine Everything (5–10 min)
- Pour the hot onion-celery mixture over the crumbled breads and stir well.
- Add the egg, salt, plenty of black pepper, and sage.
- Gradually add more hot broth as needed until the mixture holds together when pressed but isn’t soupy.
- Bake (35–45 min) Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until golden brown on top and set in the center.
- Rest & Serve (10–15 min) Remove from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes before serving — this helps the dressing firm up and scoop beautifully.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
- Ideal Temp: Warm, after resting 10–15 minutes.
- Prep Ahead: Assemble up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate, then bake just before serving.
- Best By:
- Refrigerator: Up to 4 days, covered.
- Freezer: Up to 2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil to prevent freezer burn.
- To Reheat: Bake covered at 325°F for 15–20 minutes with a splash of broth to refresh moisture.
- Surplus Ingredients: Enjoy the rest of your cornbread for breakfast with honey butter.
- Complementary Menu Items:
- Roast turkey or chicken (with pan drippings or homemade gravy)
- Giblet or turkey gravy
- Grandma June Coffman’s Mac & Cheese
- Mashed potatoes with brown butter
- Green bean casserole or roasted Brussels sprouts
- Sweet potato casserole with pecans
- Homemade cranberry sauce
- Classic pumpkin or pecan pie
Did you make this?
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