In the South, we can’t have Thanksgiving without dressing! This is a great way to use the turkey broth from your Thanksgiving turkey—if you don’t have quite enough, you can add a little water. If you know Brenda Gantt’s Thanksgiving Dressing makes more than you need, serve half on Thanksgiving and freeze the rest for Christmas.
Brenda Gantt’s Thanksgiving Dressing
Makes about 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 skillet Egg Bread (recipe follows)
- 1 bunch celery (finely chopped)
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 10 slices white bread (stale with no crust)
- 3 cups turkey broth
Instructions
- Make Egg Bread a day ahead. Crumble completely cooled Egg Bread into very small pieces. Put in a large bowl and cover until ready to add to other ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine celery, onions, and butter in a pan filled with just enough water to cover the celery and onions. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Add soup and mix well with the liquid in the pan.
- Gently tear bread slices into quarter-size pieces and place on top of the crumbled Egg Bread. (Do not stir.)
- Pour the celery, onion, and liquid mixture over the top of the breads, making sure to wet each piece of the stale white bread. Let stand for 1 to2 minutes for white bread to absorb the liquid.
- With a large spoon, mix the breads with the liquids. Once cooled enough to handle, use your hands to mix and make sure there are no lumps.
- Lastly, add turkey broth slowly, stirring often. Continue adding broth until the dressing is thick but soft and wet (kind of a thick, soupy consistency). Pour into a large ungreased casserole dish or roasting pan.
- Bake until hot and bubbly.
Brenda Gantt’s Egg Bread
Makes about 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups White Lily self-rising cornmeal
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Combine cornmeal, eggs, and buttermilk and mix well. Pour into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet that has been heavily greased with solid grease.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
Notes
From Brenda
Egg Bread is just what I call my cornbread that I make for dressing and other things when I don’t want crunchy cornbread. The number of eggs in this recipe makes a really soft cornbread.
Egg Bread is just what I call my cornbread that I make for dressing and other things when I don’t want crunchy cornbread. The number of eggs in this recipe makes a really soft cornbread.
You can find this recipe and more in Brenda Gantt’s follow up book “Linger Around the Table, Y‘all” or our November/December 2022 issue! And make sure to follow Brenda Gantt for announcements, recipes, and more.
I made it and it is dry. What can I do?
Hi Lori,
You can try adding more broth if the mixture is not wet enough. Was the uncooked dressing mixture pourable after adding all of the soup and broth to it before baking?
Use more broth. And get good broth or stock is even better. Add more butter.