One of Southern Living’s “83 Spectacular Thanksgiving Sides” Click for recipes.
The major difference between dressing and stuffing is the main ingredient. One features crumbled cornbread, the other cubed white bread. Also, dressing tends to be moist and delicious, whereas stuffing is less so. Plus, stuffing has been known to contain all manner of non-essential add ins: Dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, mushrooms, root vegetables, and even kale.
The list of ingredients for cornbread dressing is blessedly short: cornbread, eggs, stock, onions (and maybe celery), and salt and pepper. Some folks add in sage, but my mom hated it nearly as much as All Things Tacky, so our dressing was always sans sage.
Southerners along the Gulf Coast often add oysters in the mix. I’m not sure how my Delta-raised mother latched on to this tradition, but for years she made half and half oyster and regular. Which would have been fine if half the family liked oyster dressing. Alas, only two out of eight or so did.
But then Hallelujah! My sister-in-law Kay took over the dressing one year and introduced us to duck, which upped the deliciousness factor by roughly 1000%. Nary an oyster ever darkened our dressing again.
I should warn y’all that dealing with duck can be a pain in the ass, not to mention the fingers (from trying to pull hot duck off the bone due to a failure to plan ahead). The depth of flavor and level of moistness the bird adds is worth the extra effort. Especially if you’re not actually participating in the preparation.
Since I spend most Thanksgivings in Seattle, I have resigned myself to eating stuffing. Folks here don’t understand the true nature of cornbread. If they attempted to make dressing with sugary Yankee pone, they’d end up with dessert. Which, now that I think about it, might not be such a terrible idea. Especially if they threw in the fruit and nuts.
Several years ago, I rejoiced upon learning that an expat Southern couple would be providing the dressing for a Thanksgiving gathering. Between the creamy mashed potatoes and the authentic cornbread dressing, Chad and Leah made me think for just a moment that I was home for the holidays. Alas, they’ve moved to Asheville, and I’ve been stuck with stuffing ever since.
In case you are wondering why I don’t volunteer to bring the dressing, it’s because I made the mistake of introducing Seattle folks to green bean bundles. Now they’ve become my price of admission to all Thanksgiving gatherings. These fussy sweet and savory bundles are only slightly less challenging than dealing with duck. If I tried to make both dishes, I’d never have the energy for shopping on Black Friday.
As the holiday approaches, I’m thankful to be part of a family whose love eclipses distance and time zones, and for my “family” here who make Seattle home.
Also, I’m thankful to Kay Holloway for sharing her recipe so I can pass it along to y’all.
Kay’s Duckalicious Cornbread Dressing
Not to be confused with cornbread mix.
1 1/2 cups cornmeal mix
1/2 cup flour self rising
2 eggs well beaten
Enough buttermilk to pour it in the skillet
Pinch of salt
Tablespoon of sugar
Finely choped onions (don’t tell Jenna)
Finely chopped celery
Add some butter to a baking dish and preheat in a 400-degree oven. Mix all of the above ingredients, pour into heated pan and bake till golden brown (25 minutes?).
For the dressing:
One duck, thawed
A few boiled eggs, chopped
Lots of butter
Seasonings to taste
Boil Duck, debone, and save broth. When cornbread is cool, add duck meat, chopped boiled eggs, pinch of sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble well with hands, add duck broth and stir until well mixed. Put pats of butter at intervals and bake @ 350 till browned. Add duck broth if it gets too dry and stir. (Lots of real butter and greasy duck broth.) My note: If you’re making a pre-smoked Butterball as I am wont to do, cook the bird on top of the dressing, so the juices seep into it. Also, I had no idea Kay added a pinch of sage to the dressing. Thankfully, Mom never noticed.
Kay says: I usually make 2 or 3 containers of the cornbread to have plenty for the dressing. Never had too much, of course Mike and the kids would pass through the kitchen and nibble on it. It’s actually good with the tiny celery and onions in it! Comfort food tastes way better when someone you care about “fixes” it!
What’s your favorite holiday comfort food? And what do you like in your dressing? Please do tell.
Photo Credits: Cornbread dressing and 82 other recipes from Southern Living; Gobble Gobble Napkins available from WhiteTulipEmbroidery at Etsy; and Give Thanks Pumpkins from SkyeArt at Etsy.
stuff southern people like 
Cornbread dressing never appealed to me because I always assumed sweet. But I sure like the sound of yours!
Hi Betty! That may be a common misperception. Hope you get a chance to taste some savory cornbread dressing one of these days.
Our dressing is made from Martha White yellow cornbread mix (when using a mix–it has to be yellow and not even slightly sweet!) but also has crumbled bread added to it to keep it from tasting too much like jazzed-up cornbread. My dad always says to add a lot of stock, because dried-out dressing is a big Southern no-no! Celery and onions, yes, some sage but not a lot–yes. Massaging the mixture by hand is mandatory!
My mom’s recipe called for crumbled bread. One time she made it at my sister’s house and was horrified to learn that Jenna had no bread on hand. Jenna said something along the lines of “you didn’t tell me to get bread.” Mom said, “Why would I? EVERYbody has bread!”
We ALWAYS have cornbread dressing, pretty much the way you described it. One year after I married, we went to the East Coast to visit his family, and they had stuffing. Breaded, dull, lifeless globs of stuff. Needles to say, my holiday was ruined!
Debbie, I agree. Holiday meals without dressing just aren’t the same.