Vegetarian Recipes

Cornbread Dressing

Friends, I hope you’re ready for the quintessential side dish for any Thanksgiving meal! Yes, I’m talking about this classic, southern Cornbread Dressing recipe. It’s made with simple ingredients like homemade cornbread, herbs, and sautéed vegetables. And it makes a huge batch so it’s perfect for large family gatherings during the holidays. I’m a huge fan of cornbread dressing so I make sure mine is seasoned well and cooked until perfectly golden brown. Trust me, this cornbread dressing is a must-have for your next holiday meal!

Cornbread Dressing vs. Stuffing

Although cornbread dressing and stuffing are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference. In the past, stuffing was a bread mixture that was stuffed inside the cavity of a turkey and cooked with the turkey. Nowadays, due to food safety concerns, stuffing is usually made separately from the turkey. Cornbread dressing is a side dish that has always been made in a separate casserole dish. Homemade cornbread is also the main ingredient in cornbread dressing. Depending on which region of the country you’re from you might be use to one or the other. But I was born and raised in the South, so for the record I’m team cornbread dressing!😉

It doesn’t take much to make this cornbread dressing recipe. Here’s everything that you’ll need:

Cornbread: The key ingredient for making the best dressing is of course a good batch of homemade cornbread. And yes, you’ll want homemade cornbread for this recipe, none of the box stuff. We used our popular Easy Homemade Cornbread recipe for this dressing.
White Bread or Herb Stuffing: To give the dressing more texture we mixed in some homemade breadcrumbs made with white bread. If you happen to catch a good sale on “Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing” you can use this in place of the white bread. You will need 3 cups total.
Aromatics: Onion, bell pepper, and celery, also called the “holy trinity” in the culinary world, gives the dressing a ton of extra flavor.
Chicken Broth: Make sure to use a good quality chicken broth to give the dressing the best flavor. We use Better than Bouillon to make our broth.
Eggs: Eggs help bind the dressing together.
Seasoning: A simple mix of poultry seasoning, sage, onion power, salt and black pepper seasons the cornbread dressing perfectly!

Make the cornbread a day or two in advance to save some time and to help the cornbread dry out a bit. Stale bread and cornbread will absorb the moisture from the dressing a lot better. If you forget to make your cornbread ahead of time just make it the same day as the dressing and toast it in the oven for a few minutes. This is what I did for this recipe.
When crumbling the cornbread and white bread, make sure to use a variety of large and small crumbles.
For maximum flavor, make your own homemade chicken broth or use the leftover broth from your roasted turkey instead of store bought broth. This is what really takes your cornbread dressing to the next level! But if you are using store bought broth, make sure to use a good quality broth for the best flavor. We use Better than Bouillon to make our broth.
Give the dressing a quick taste test right before you add the eggs so you can decide if you want to add a bit more seasoning.
Don’t overcook the dressing. You want to bake it until it’s lightly golden brown on the top and still moist in the center.

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. The dressing may start to dry out a little bit as it refrigerates, so I like to add a splash of water or broth to the dressing when reheating it.

Serving Suggestions

Of course turkey and dressing are a classic pair for Thanksgiving, and you can’t forget the cranberry sauce! It also pairs really well with other side dishes like green bean casserole, candied yams, and Brussels sprouts. Luckily cornbread dressing is not just for the Thanksgiving holiday. I also love making this recipe for Easter to serve with Baked Ham and Glazed Carrots or anytime throughout the year when I get a craving for homemade dressing. It really is perfect to enjoy all year long!

Overhead view of a serving plate with roasted turkey, corbread dressing, and cranberry sauce.

Cornbread Dressing

This Cornbread Dressing recipe is the quintessential side dish for your Thanksgiving or holiday meal. It’s budget-friendly and it also feeds a crowd!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Amercian

Total Cost $7.59 recipe / $0.63 serving

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 25

Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 136kcal

Author Marsha – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 batch homemade cornbread $1.77
6 slices white bread $0.75
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.12
1/2 cup salted butter $1.12
1 yellow onion, diced $0.40
1 green bell pepper, diced $1.00
3 ribs of celery, diced $0.55
3/4 tsp salt, divided $0.05
2 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, divided $0.25
1/2 tsp dried sage $0.05
1/2 tsp onion powder $0.05
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.03
4.5 cups chicken broth $0.85
2 large eggs, beaten $0.60

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crumble the cornbread by hand into small pieces and place on a baking sheet. Next, tear or crumble the white bread into small pieces. Place the crumbled white bread on the same baking sheet.
Toss the crumbled white bread with olive oil, ½ tsp of poultry seasoning, and ¼ tsp salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the crumbled bread for 15 minutes until lightly toasted. Once the bread has dried out, remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
While the breadcrumbs are toasting, sauté the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, diced bell pepper, and diced celery. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Add the toasted cornbread and breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and butter to the same bowl. Now add ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, dried sage, onion powder, and black pepper to the bowl.
Next, slowly pour the chicken broth into the bowl. Start by pouring half of the broth then give the dressing a stir. Pour the rest of the broth in the bowl and stir to combine.
Now add the beaten eggs to the bowl and stir to combine.
Pour the cornbread dressing mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Cook time does not include the time it takes to make the cornbread. You can make it the day before or the same day.

Nutrition

How to Make Cornbread Dressing – Step by Step Photos

Cornbread and breadcrumbs on a large baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crumble 1 batch of homemade cornbread by hand into small pieces and place on a baking sheet. Next, tear or crumble 6 slices of white bread into small pieces. Place the crumbled white bread on the same baking sheet. Toss the crumbled white bread with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp of poultry seasoning, and ¼ tsp salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the crumbled bread for 15 minutes until lightly toasted. Once the cornbread and breadcrumbs have dried out, remove the sheetpan from the oven and set aside.

Diced celery, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet.

While the breadcrumbs are toasting, sauté the vegetables. Melt 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 diced green bell pepper, and 3 ribs of celery, diced.

Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.

Dried cornbread and bread crumbs added to a large bowl.

Add the toasted cornbread and breadcrumbs to a large bowl.

Sautéed vegetables, spices, and broth added to cornbread.

Add the sautéed vegetables and butter to the same bowl. Now add ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp dried sage, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper to the bowl. Next, slowly pour 4 1/2 cups chicken broth into the bowl. Start by pouring half of the broth then give the cornbread dressing a stir. Pour the rest of the broth in the bowl and stir to combine.

Beaten eggs added to cornbread dressing.

Now add 2 large beaten eggs to the bowl and stir to combine.

Pre-baked cornbread dressing added to large casserole dish.

Pour the cornbread dressing mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Cooked cornbread dressing in large white baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm and enjoy!

overhead view of a serving of cornbread dressing being lifted out of a white baking dish.

Candied Yams

$7.99 recipe / $1.33 serving

Corn Pudding

$6.36 recipe / $0.80 serving

Green Bean Casserole

$9.71 recipe / $1.62 serving

Homemade Mac and Cheese

$4.19 recipe / $1.05 serving

The post Cornbread Dressing appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

If you’re not familiar with homity pie, let me introduce you:

Homity pie is a traditional British recipe, which is essentially a cheesy potato and leek pie. It’s just the sort of thing we Brits do perfectly – simple ingredients, combined to make incredible comfort food. Say what you like about British food, but it’s hard to argue with buttery sautéed leeks, cheesy crushed potatoes, and a flaky shortcrust pastry case.

A slice of homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie).

I’m not going to lie, this homity pie is a bit of a labour of love. It’s not a quick weeknight meal like most of my recipes – this cheesy pie is definitely one to save for a special occasion (it would be perfect for a vegetarian Christmas dinner!).

Since cooking this pie takes a bit of time and patience, don’t try to cook it against the clock. Give yourself plenty of leeway – perhaps an afternoon where you’ve not got much else on. That way, it doesn’t matter if the potatoes have to sit for a little while so you can finish cooking the leeks, or if the pastry case is ready to fill before the filling is actually cooked – you can just potter away at your own pace, and it can all be assembled when you’re ready.

Overhead shot of a cheesy pie with a slice pulled away.

What’s in Homity Pie?

There are three parts to this recipe:

garlicky sautéed leeks and onion
buttery crushed potatoes (with a cheesy topping)
a crispy pastry case

These 3 elements can all be prepared simultaneously, or one at a time, depending on how good you are at multitasking. I’ve written the recipe in 3 separate parts, but if the timings work out (or if you have someone else helping you in the kitchen), you can prepare them all at the same time.

Once all three parts of the recipe are ready, they can be assembled, and baked one last time to complete your cheesy homity pie.

And by the way, I am 100% not a pastry expert. You may think my homity pie looks decidedly… rustic. But I like it that way If I wanted it to look perfect, I’d have saved myself a couple of hours, and bought one in a shop.

Becca’s Top Tip

Any extra scraps of pastry can be baked on their own, and eaten spread with strawberry jam – my kids love it when I cook with pastry as they always get little jam tarts!

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

leek – It’s hard to get the scale from the picture, but the leek I used was absolutely enormous – a proper monster (probably as big as my forearm!). If your leeks are a more normal size, you’ll probably need at least two.
potatoes
shortcrust pastry – I used a ready-rolled sheet of shop-bought pastry, as making pastry is not my forte. Feel free to use homemade pastry if you prefer!
cheddar cheese – If possible, use freshly grated mature cheddar cheese rather than the pre-grated stuff, as it melts more nicely.
onion – I used red onion, but regular onions would also be good.
fresh parsley
egg
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar because I hate chopping large amounts of fresh garlic.
curry powder (optional, but it does add a lovely hint of warmth)

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re using shop-bought pastry, take it out of the fridge an hour or so before you need to use it. This helps it to soften a little, and means it’s less likely to crack as you unroll it.

Recipe Video

Equipment

I like to use a loose bottomed springform cake tin for homemade pies. It works really well because:

The clip on the side and the loose bottom make it so easy to remove the pie from the tin once it’s finished baking.
It gives a nice tall pie, which looks great, and also gives a wonderfully thick layer of filling.
The metal heats up nicely and helps to crisp up the pastry.

You can use a shallower pie tin to make homity pie if that’s what you have, but I would always recommend a cake tin if you have one.

Here’s a similar one on Amazon, with great reviews:

8-Inch Springform Cake Tin

I love using a loose-bottomed springform cake tin to make homemade pie. If you’re in the UK or Australia, click ‘Buy on Amazon’ to view a local product.

A slice of homity pie with sautéed leeks, potatoes and cheese.

Printable Instructions

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

How to make the classic British recipe homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie!) – a tasty vegetarian pie made with shortcrust pastry.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, English

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 427kcal

Author Becca Heyes