Recipe of the Week: Southern Cornbread Dressing

It’s November and the country that we’re featuring this month is America, in honour of Thanksgiving. Lori Rubottom Karimi lives in Stockholm but grew up in Arkansas, where she experienced gorgeous Southern cooking. Here, she shares her wonderful Thanksgiving recipes that have been passed down in her family from mother to daughter. Absolutely mouthwatering – thank you Lori!

Below is the traditional thanksgiving menu that I always enjoyed at my grandparents; the starred ones are the ones I’ll be sharing with the readers of Your Living City.  Usually you would find my grandmother and my mother in the kitchen cooking. My grandfather was in charge of the ham and the turkey. I promise you that no one ever left hungry and you always looked forward to the left overs. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Relish Tray: Black & Green Olives, Sweet Pickles, Baby Dills, Pickled Okra

Deviled Eggs

Brown Sugar & Coca Cola glazed Ham

Deep fried Turkey

* Southern Cornbread Dressing

Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy

* Sweet Potato Casserole

* Green Bean Casserole

Corn Casserole

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls

Sweet Iced Tea

* Nanny’s Pecan Pie

Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS

CORNBREAD

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1/2 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Cornbread, crumbled

7 slices of one-day-old white bread (leave out over night or toast in the oven to dry it out)

1 package of saltine crackers

8 tablespoons butter

2 cups chopped celery

1 large onion, chopped

7 cups chicken stock ( You can also substitute the chicken stock for the pan drippings if you are also cooking a Thanksgiving turkey. When prepared with the drippings it is delicious and full of flavor.)

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sage

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

5 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. First, prepare the cornbread. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then crumble.
2. In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and crackers; set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Want more fantastic recipes? Check out our Expat Cookbook!

Recipe: Lori Rubottom Karimi

You may also like Lori’s other recipes:

Nanny’s Pecan Pie

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole