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Best Bayou Dressing

ByCapt. Wendy
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I’ve been making this dressing for quite a while now, and folks still ask me what makes it “bayou” or “Cajun”?  Well, I never claimed it was Cajun, and it came from central Louisiana.  However, it contains the “Trinity”, (onions, bell pepper, celery), green onions, and Tony’s Cajun spices, which give it lots more flavor than a traditional southern, sage cornbread dressing.  Actually, I don’t use sage at all, because my family doesn’t care for the flavor, and neither do I.  But you can certainly add it if you desire!

So, here it is again:  Mrs. Geraldine’s Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing, from out in the country near Verda, Louisiana.  I haven’t seen her in years, but I know it would make her smile to know that many of us are carrying on her Thanksgiving meal tradition of this deeply delicious dressing!

The Best Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing Recipe

cornbread-dressing
Print Recipe
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 or more people, depending on serving size
Author: Bayou Woman

Ingredients

  • 2 Sticks of Butter
  • 2 Medium Onions Chopped
  • 6-8 Stalks Celery Chopped
  • 2 Bell Peppers Chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
  • 1 Bunch Green Onions Chopped-separated
  • 2 Pans of Cornbread Crumbled
  • 1 Quart Chicken Stock Moist - not soupy
  • 1 tbsp Tony Chachere's Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Season All
  • 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning optional - my family doesn' care for sage flavor
  • 1 tsp Salt optional-to taste
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 6 Eggs Beaten

Instructions

  • Melt butter in sauté pan and add the finely chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, let them simmer on low, stirring occasionally while you continue.
  • Chop parsley and green onions and set aside - keep the dark green tops of the green onion separate from the white bulb parts.
  • Assemble and bake 2 pans of cornbread, cool, and crumble into a large bowl. (Set oven on 400 after removing cornbread if you plan to bake the dressing right away. See Notes)
  • Add parsley and bulbous white part of the green onion to the sauté pan
  • Add chicken stock to the cornbread in the bowl. (If you made stock ahead of time, you must re-heat it before adding) NOTE: You might not use entire quart!!!!
  • Add all the seasoning (and taste for needed salt)
  • Add the sautéed vegetables to the cornbread mixture
  • Add chopped green onion tops to the cornbread mixture
  • Mix eggs well before folding into cornbread mixture
  • Bake in a 400 degree oven to “set” which takes about 30 minutes. Then lower the oven to 350 and continue baking for another 30 minutes or until golden-colored and knife comes out clean. Check it often!

Notes

After everything is mixed together, you can cover and let this rest in the refrigerator overnight, which really enhances all the flavors, you can freeze it for future use, or you can bake right away. You will need about three or four baking dishes, as this makes a LOT of dressing. I used shallow glass baking dishes. Corning Ware works okay, but the edges are more prone to over-browning. Feel free to cut the recipe in half for smaller families.
NOTE:  Serves upwards of 12 people depending on serving size.

I wish each one of you a blessed day with family or friends, a time to pause and be more aware of and thankful for our blessings than we typically are.  

Enjoy your feast, and be sure to leave room for dessert!

BW

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Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. Mine is very similar to this recipe. The biggest difference is that I put chopped giblets in mine.
    Hope y’all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    Reply

    1. If I boil chicken for my own broth, I chop up some of the chicken and put in, which is wonderful, too. The giblets go in the GRAVY!!!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I’ll bet this is delicious! Sam and I will be going to the house from someone he met at the local hunting/outdoor store this past year. I’m not sure where they originally came from but I’m thinking it will be an interesting Thanksgiving for us not knowing these people very well.

    Reply

  3. 4 stars
    I get to do the dressing each year. I make moms recipe for sage dressing. I like it moist and have never had a recipe. I just had the ingredients and taste as I go.

    We have a reunion Sunday about 2 hrs from here then dinner Thursday at our sons. So, I have got to head for a store tomorrow for marshmallows to go in the rice crispy treats for Sunday. I think one batch will have some chocolate chips in them.

    Have a good Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is pretty much the same dressing I make every year. I skip the bell pepper and sage. The aroma reminds me of my Mom, Grandmother and Nannie’s kitchens. Hope y’all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Cuz. Love to you all.

    Reply

      1. 5 stars
        I’m going to prep today so it can take ON the flavor. My Gradmother would love it! She passed away . I will be in West Monroe on Monday for her memorial to be placed by my grandfather .

        Reply

        1. Oh, so sorry for your loss, but you are making it in her honor and memory! Very special! God bless you and yours at the memorial and have a blessed Thanksgiving! BW

          Reply

    1. Hi Michelle, and welcome to the bayou. I just use the recipe on Quaker cornmeal box. If it calls for buttermilk, I just make it with regular milk. Does this help?

      Reply

    1. YAY! I’m so very, very glad! Very smart moving controlling the salt where you can because the Tony’s is QUITE salty. Using unsalted broth is a very good idea. If you happen to boil your own chicken, using that broth and chopping up some of the meat to add to the dressing brings it to a whole other level of DELICIOUS, friend!!! Thanks SO MUCH for coming back here to let us know it was a success!! My gang loved ours, too! Merry Christmas, Michelle! BW

      Reply