How to Cook Cornbread Dressing

In the American South, stuffing is often referred to as "dressing." Some people use the term "dressing" when the dish is baked on its own rather than stuffed inside a turkey or other fowl [source: Kayal].

Here's what you'll need to make cornbread dressing:

Cornbread (a traditional Southern recipe would use buttermilk cornbread)
Four tablespoons unsalted butter
Four cloves garlic, minced
Two onions, finely chopped
Four stalks celery, finely chopped
Two tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
Two tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Two cups chicken stock
Four large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Here's how to make the dressing:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190.6 degrees Celsius).
Sauté the garlic, onions and celery, in a large pan, in butter over medium heat until tender (about eight minutes).
Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and the remaining ingredients. Stir well.
Butter a large ovenproof skillet or two-quart casserole dish. Spoon the mixture into the skillet or dish.
Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown on top.
Serve hot [Source: Martha Stewart].

If you want to make buttermilk cornbread from scratch, you can try this recipe:

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups cornmeal
One teaspoon sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Four teaspoons baking powder
1 ¼ cups buttermilk (at room temperature)
Three large eggs
Four tablespoons melted butter

Here's what to do:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218.3 degrees Celsius).
Butter an 8-inch (20.3-centimeter) square baking pan.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Combine the wet mixture with the dry mixture. Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly on wire rack before removing from the pan [Source: Martha Stewart].