honey cornbread dressing

a top tier side, imo

*click the pic, it will take you to the IG reel

Who hated dressing (or stuffing depending where you’re from) growing up? Meeeee! I absolutely hated it. No shade to my aunt who use to make it lol, it just…did not look appetizing.

Until, my mom made her version probably like 10-15ish years ago and I became hooked. Probably 5ish years ago is when I started making MY version of dressing using her same vibes but with honey cornbread….my god, it is my favorite thing ever.

If you made my Barry’s chili then you know this cornbread. Same vibes different way of using it.

Also, hot saucie tip: do NOT skip the smoked oysters. It adds this umami savoriness to the dish! Trust me!

Oh, and don’t forget to let your cornbread dry out the day before!

Hope you guys enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves 8-10)

• 1 lb breakfast sausage (breakfast sausage is key because it has those savory flavors of sage & maple)

  • hot saucie tip: buy the classic ones we had growing up. Bob Evans, Jimmy Deans…you know!

• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1/2 a medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage

• 1 tablespoon canned smoked oysters, roughly chopped

• 1 cup turkey or chicken stock & 1/2 cup of reserved gravy set aside

• kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon EVOO & 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• honey cornbread, below

Honey Cornbread

• 1 cup medium grind yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup whole milk

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup honey

  • tip: use GOOOD honey!

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

Tools

• cast iron

• cake pan

• prep mixing bowls

• wooden spoon

• chefs knife

• can opener

Directions

For the cornbread:

1. Pre heat oven to 400 and grease a round cake pan.

2. In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients together: all purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt & baking powder.

3. In another separate bowl combine all wet ingredients together: honey, eggs, whole milk & melted butter.

4. Combine the wet into the dry ingredients & stir until just combined! Do not over mix!

5. Add batter into the cake pan & bake in oven for 20 min or until the middle is done and when a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the middle of the cornbread.

6. Once cornbread is cooled, cut into bite size pieces and let it sit out for a day to dry it out for the dressing.

For the dressing:

• Pre-heat oven to 350

  • if you are making this day of then you are going to bake it. If you are prepping for thanksgiving the day before, do not bake it yet.

• In a cast iron pan on medium heat, add EVOO & butter to the pan. Once melted, add the celery, onions & garlic to the pan. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent & season with salt & pepper.

• Add the breakfast sausage, and break apart so it’s crumbly. Cook for 7 minutes or until fully cooked.

• Add the sage & smoked oysters, stir to combine.

• Add the diced cornbread & start to break them apart and combine everything together.

• Add about 1/2-1 cup of turkey stock to make it “wet”.

  • hot saucie tip: now how “wet” you like it, is up to you. I like a crumbly dressing that is moist lol (pause) and I don’t like huge chunks but still has some texture to the dish.

• Taste to season with salt.

• Bake it in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until just about golden brown but still moist. I like to add some of the turkey gravy to the dressing as it’s cooking so it doesn’t dry out