Southern Chicken and Dressing is a savory side dish that is perfect for serving on Thanksgiving, Christmas or other special occasions. Made with cornbread, chicken and herbs this classic recipe is flavor packed and always a favorite.
This week I’ve been sharing recipes to help you make the best holiday feast! Thanksgiving, Christmas or another special occasion I’ve got the recipes to help make it special! Try my recipe for Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Perfect Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Relish, Southern Style Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and finish it off with Honey Pecan Pie. It’s a meal they’ll love and talk about for years!
There are maybe hundreds of ways to make dressing. This one is my Mother’s version of Chicken and Dressing. She passed away a couple years ago and I miss her constantly but having her recipes to savor and enjoy helps me feel closer to her. I’ve shared some of our family favorites here in the past like this Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie. I always think keeping memories of our loved ones close at special times makes them much more sweeter.
What’s the Difference Between Dressing and Stuffing?
Dressing, which is a traditional Southern dish, is made in a casserole dish. Stuffing, is prepared to be cooked stuffed inside a turkey. Although, a lot of people actually don’t cook their stuffing in the turkey. Which is confusing, but that’s the difference.
How to make Chicken and Dressing: (scroll to bottom of page for full printable recipe):
Ingredients:
- cornbread
- chicken
- day old bread
- celery
- onion
- poultry seasoning
- sage
- butter
- chicken broth
- non-stick cooking spray
- pepper
Special Equipment:
- 9×13 casserole dish
- large mixing bowl
- large skillet
Instructions:
Be sure to read my notes for this recipe. There are some time saving tips and tricks listed there to help you make this recipe easier.
Step One: Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 or 3 quart baking dish with non-stick spray. Set the dish to the side.
Step Two: In a large mixing bowl crumble together cornbread with day old bread . Toss to combine. Set it aside.
Step Three: In a large skillet over medium high heat melt butter and cook chopped onions and celery until tender.
Step Four: Add onion mixture to cornbread mixture add in poultry seasoning, sage and pepper.
Step Five: Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and stir to combine.
Step Four: Slowly add chicken broth until mixture is wet but not soupy. You made not need all four cups of the broth. I used a little more than 2.5 cups.
Step Five: Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
My Notes and Tips:
- This recipe calls for two cups prepared and shredded chicken. You can cook the chicken in advance and store it in the fridge. You can use a rotisserie chicken for easy prep if you prefer.
- For this recipe you will need six cups of cornbread. We use Martha White’s Cotton Pickin’ Cornbread mix. Both because it is an easy time saver but also because it isn’t a sweet cornbread which will blend better with the other savory flavors in this recipe. To save time make the cornbread the day before and store overnight in a zip top bag in the refrigerator.
- You will also need a couple slices of day old bread. This is easy enough just leave a couple slices of bread out on the counter overnight, in the morning it will be stale. Another option is to place in the oven for a couple minutes until bread is dry but not toasted.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Any cornbread mix or homemade cornbread will work. I recommend the Martha White’s but that is a personal preference for making this recipe.
- Add some more seasoning add a half teaspoon of Thyme or Rosemary to this recipe to give it a more herby taste.
- Make a half batch by simply cutting all the ingredients in half and baking it in a 9×9 baking dish or pan.
- Skip the chicken. Swap it for turkey or even omit it all together.
Storage:
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments until heated through.
I hope your family will love this recipe as much as we do! If you do try this recipe please come back and leave a comment letting me know how much you liked it!
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
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Southern Chicken and Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 6 cups cornbread crumbled
- 2 slices day old bread crumbled
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups prepared chicken shredded
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
-
Prepare and shred two chicken breasts. Set aside.
-
Prepare six cups cornbread. See notes below.
-
Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13 or 3 quart baking dish with non-stick spray. Set the dish to the side.
-
In a large mixing bowl crumble together cornbread with day old bread. Toss to combine. Set it aside.
-
In a large skillet over medium high heat melt butter and cook chopped onions and celery until tender.
-
Add onion mixture to cornbread mixture add in poultry seasoning, sage and pepper.
-
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and stir to combine.
-
Slowly add chicken broth until mixture is wet but not soupy. See notes below.
-
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- For this recipe you will need six cups of cornbread. I used two packages of Martha White’s Cotton Pickin’ Cornbread mix. Both because it is an easy time saver but also because it isn’t a sweet cornbread which will blend better with the other savory flavors in this recipe. To save time make the cornbread the day before and store overnight in a zip top bag in the refrigerator.
- You made not need all four cups of the broth. I used a little more than 2.5 cups.
- Nutritional information is estimated. Amounts will vary based on ingredient choices and serving sizes.
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