Grandma's Dressing Recipe (2024)

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Making this dressing recipe is a family tradition. Grandma’s Old Fashioned Dressing is a staple on our Thanksgiving table and has been for generations.

I like my dressing to be firm, but moist and have a nice flavor profile. This perfectly describes grandma’s dressing or stuffing recipe.

Grandma's Dressing Recipe (1)

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Dressing Recipe

Simple ingredients mix together to create enjoyable flavors in my grandma’s old fashioned dressing recipe.

This recipe stands out above other dressing recipes in flavor and consistency because of an extra step that my grandma added. A secret to the success in this recipe is putting the celery and onion in a food processor to ensure finely chopped ingredients.

A delicious dressing is a holiday tradition for many families. Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn’t be complete without turkey, Farmhouse Mashed Potatoes, Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole, Applesauce Jello, and Scalloped Corn Casserole.

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My husband’s family add these favorite recipes to their holiday table, Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing, Sweet Potato Souffle, Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes and a Big Batch of Pumpkin Pies.

One Of Our Farmhouse Favorites

My late grandma was a really good cook, probably because she had so much practice making big meals for groups of workers on our family’s farm. In the summer when it was time to bale hay and straw I know they would round up as many able high school boys as they could find. Part of the reward for hard work was a great homemade meal.

I’ve heard many stories about the legendary food that she made. The meal was always topped off with a dessert-like Marshmallow Salad, Cherry Coke Jello Salad or 7 Up Salad.

This dressing recipe was one of her specialties, so it’s guaranteed to be great!

Grandma's Dressing Recipe (3)

Here’s a pic of the recipe in my mom’s handwriting. I’ve added some details so that this recipe is easier to prepare. My mom continues to make this dressing recipe, so I decided to learn the tradition.

I understand that a lot of digital recipes are used now, but there’s just something special about a handwritten recipe. Might a nice cookbook like these make a good holiday gift this year?

I may not make big meals on a regular basis, but I certainly want to preserve the tried and true recipes that have been served around farmhouses in our family for generations. This is one of those excellent traditions that I’m glad to practice and record here in hopes that many others may enjoy it too!

How to Make Farmhouse Dressing

  1. Cut bread cubes equal to 4 cups and leave on a baking sheet overnight or all night to dry. Loosley cover with a dish towel if desired. Do NOT cover tightly with plastic wrap or cubes will not be allowed to dry.
  2. A secret to the success of this recipe is using a food processor to make sure the celery and onion are made very smooth.
  3. Then mix all ingredients together and bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes. The dressing should be lightly brown around the edges and the center should be starting to firm up. Remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Dish will continue to cook and the center should set up a bit more.
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Tips for Making Dressing

  • Put celery and onion in food processor to make a smoother, more consistent texture for the dressing – I have a mini Cuisinart that works great
  • 4 to 6 slices of bread makes 4 cups of bread cubes depending on the thickness of each slice
  • Cutting the bread into smaller cubes will allow more flavors to blend in every bite
  • I prefer the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing to mix in with the dried bread. The pieces rather than cubes of stuffing make a smoother and more consistent finished dish. I also enjoy how the pieces are already seasoned with herbs.
  • If the dressing is being baked well ahead of the meal and will need to hold covered in foil be sure to add a little extra chicken broth so that it doesn’t dry out
  • This recipe creates a fairly thin layer of dressing in the pan. Doubling the recipe in the same pan is not recommended as it will greatly affecting baking time.
  • Eggs add a special richness to this dressing recipe and help all of the other ingredients to stick together.

Ingredients Needed to Make Dressing

  • Dried bread cubes or day old bread
  • Herb seasoned stuffing
  • Chicken broth
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Eggs
  • Butter
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How to Make Grandma’s Dressing Recipe

Use day old bread or fresh bread, cut up enough bread to make 4 cups of cubes.

A mini food processor is the best way to finely chop and blend the celery and onion.

This will help even out these flavors into an enjoyable undertone instead of creating random chunks with bigger bursts of flavor.

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Measure out ingredients and pour into a mixing bowl. Stir well and pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

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Be sure to preheat the oven to 350°F. Do not cover the pan and set in the oven.

Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the center is beginning to set.

Grandma's Dressing Recipe (8)

More Delicious Holiday Recipes

Here are a few other of the best side dishes from our family Jiffy Corn Pudding, Crock Pot Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, and Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes. We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Click HERE to sign-up for our weekly newsletter to get more easy and delicious recipes!

Printable Grandma’s Farmhouse Dressing Recipe

Grandma's Dressing Recipe (9)

Farmhouse Dressing Recipe

I may not make big meals on a regular basis, but I certainly want to preserve the tried and true recipes like this Farmhouse Dressing Recipe that has been served around farm houses in our family for generations.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Grandma’s Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life

Ingredients

  • 4 cups day old bread cubed
  • 4 cups herb seasoned cubed stuffing
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup celery
  • 1/2 cup onion
  • 2 cups turkey broth

Instructions

  • Cut 4 cups of bread into cubes and leave out, uncovered overnight to dry out.

  • Add celery and onion to the food processor and make smooth.

  • Mix all ingredients together and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes until just brown around the edges and slightly firm in the center.

Video

Notes

  • If using plain bread cubes add 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon sage to the dressing.
  • Put celery and onion in food processor to make a smoother, more consistent texture for the dressing – I have a mini Cuisinart that works great
  • Cutting the bread into smaller cubes will allow more flavors to blend in every bite
  • I prefer the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing to mix in with the dried bread. The pieces rather than cubes of stuffing make a smoother and more consistent finished dish. I also enjoy how the pieces are already seasoned with herbs.
  • If the dressing is being baked well ahead of the meal and will need to hold covered in foil be sure to add a little extra chicken broth so that it doesn’t dry out
  • This recipe creates a fairly thin layer of dressing in the pan. Doubling the recipe in the same pan is not recommended as it will greatly affecting baking time and may make it difficult for the center to finish baking.

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Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Follow me@PlowingThroughLife and mention #PlowingThroughLife!

Grandma's Dressing Recipe (14)

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Grandma's Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you put an egg in stuffing? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency. Seasonings: This turkey dressing recipe is seasoned with salt, pepper, rubbed sage, and garlic powder.

What is the difference between turkey stuffing and turkey dressing? ›

"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

What is dressing made of? ›

Some dressing is basic: a combination of dried bread, aromatics, and dried herbs. Other loaded versions can contain oysters, mushrooms, and even dried fruit and nuts.

Is it OK to make cornbread dressing ahead of time? ›

A great make-ahead recipe: You can make this Thanksgiving side dish up to a day in advance, and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. The leftovers are good for up to 4 days so you can enjoy leftover cornbread dressing with your turkey leftovers the next day.

Why add eggs to dressing? ›

Should you add egg to stuffing or dressing? It's a matter of preference, but adding a beaten egg to your stuffing mixture acts as a binder and keeps the bread moist. Moisture is what holds all the ingredients together, rather than turning it into something resembling croutons and roasted vegetables.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

What do Southerners call stuffing? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

Is stuffing the same as dressing black folks? ›

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.

What is better stuffing or dressing? ›

As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound. Many Southerners are die-hard dressing fans, while Northerners tend to prefer stuffings, but these are not hard and fast rules. Nor is the language used to describe either dish.

What is the most unhealthy dressing? ›

Caesar. And at the top of that list? Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there.

What are the two 2 types of dressing? ›

5 Types of Wound Dressings and When to Use Them
  • Gauze. Gauze, or cloth, dressings are made of woven cotton fabric in various sizes and shapes. ...
  • Foam. Foam dressings are soft and gentle wound dressings made of polyurethane foam. ...
  • Transparent Film. ...
  • Hydrocolloid. ...
  • Hydrogel.
Jul 27, 2023

What are the three basic types of dressing? ›

In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing: Vinaigrette; Creamy dressings, usually based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream (crème fraîche, smetana), buttermilk; Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and ...

How do you keep cornbread dressing from getting gummy? ›

If your dressing doesn't turn out right, don't fret. You can usually fix it. If you find your stuffing is too dry, add additional warmed broth to it, stir well, and return to the oven, checking periodically. If the stuffing is overly wet and too gummy, cook it uncovered for a bit longer, checking periodically.

Why is my cornbread dressing mushy? ›

If your cornbread dressing is mushy, be sure you baked it in a wide enough pan. Plenty of surface area will help the top crisp and the bottom bake completely. Also, be sure you measured your ingredients properly and didn't add too much liquid.

How do you keep stuffing moist when baking? ›

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

What makes stuffing mushy? ›

You'll need day-old loaves to get stale so that the stuffing doesn't get too mushy. Don't cube that bread! Ragged, imperfect pieces of bread have more surface area; it's those nooks and crannies that give you good texture. Speaking of texture, that's what stuffing is all about--you want a mix of crispy and soft pieces.

How do you make stuffing moist after cooking? ›

Add Butter and Broth Before Reheating

Often upon refrigeration, the stuffing will soak up any excess moisture and will appear drier than when originally served. Depending on the amount of stuffing you plan to reheat, drizzle a few tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup of chicken or turkey broth into the stuffing to moisten it.

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