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Who Brenda Gantt–and Why Holidays win with her Cornbread Dressing?
Brenda Gantt Cornbread Dressing Recipe
With the scrolling of Facebook feeds about food loving and YouTube videos, you must have seen Brenda Gantt: the warm, no nonsense Alabama grandmother who cooks so much of the way most of us wish we could, and also with stories that are likely to make you feel like you are at her kitchen table. She uploaded biscuits, casseroles, and sides and holiday necessities, at a time when people were hungry, and her videos went viral. She writes on social and in cookbooks to-day, and her holiday-time fare is, so many a cornbread dressing, a tradition in millions of American homes.
To those who desire something physical to hold and cook with, the books of Brenda (starting with It’s Gonna Be Good, Y’all and then Linger Around the Table, Y’all etc) contain all her stories and recipes in a single location. Her publisher reprints her continuously and the blurbs are as homely and practical as her videos are, with all that just cook it, it will be good effervescence. This is not a celebrity chef with tweezers but the type of home cooking in the South which is intended to nourish a table.
The cornbread dressing, as far as it is concerned, is a tradition, and there is a reason why culinary magazines put it in the spotlight every November. It embodies the Southern mode of dressing–not stuffing–with cornbread and white bread that have been stale too long, aromatics boiled with butter, and turkey broth to achieve that essential soupy quality which bakes to plush and savory. The Taste of the South variety spreads the bones of it all out plainly, the Egg Bread (her soft cornbread purposely created to dress it), the butter boiled onion and celery bottom, the cream of chicken soup as liquid, and the squiddy feel test prior to baking. It is all too easy–and that is why it is so reproducible and popular.
In other words: Brenda makes her cornbread dressing just like family, and this is why it appears everywhere on Thanksgiving. Below is a blueprint that will take you through the steps of channeling her vibe and bringing that it’s going to be good, yall energy to your own kitchen–step by step and with enough tips to feel like you have been preparing it your whole life.
Brenda Gantt Cornbread Dressing (What Makes It Different) DNA.
First cultural context: in the American South wearing is not merely stuffing a bird and placing it in the oven. It is its own thing–traditionally cornbread based, frequently cooked in a casserole and designed to be moist, scoopable and highly savory. That begins with Egg Bread, a specially soft cornbread (five eggs! buttermilk! self rising cornmeal) that is baked a day before, broken fine, and mixed with the torn stale white bread in the world of Brenda. The difference in the application of the breads is essential: cornbread adds the volume and the corn sweetness, white bread increases tenderness and retains the moisture.
Then the aromatics: onion, celery simmered in water and one stick of butter. Brenda, in her published technique, boils them tender instead of sauteing–making a rich buttery sauce. That liquid is then combined with cream of chicken soup (also specifically mentioned in the published formula) to make an emulsified, savory base that maintains the casserole wet. Even those who avoid all types of cream of anything soups are likely to make an exception here as the texture is impossible to beat and the flavor is humming beneath the turkey gravy instead of competing with it.
Finally, turkey broth. The canon reads: add broth until the mixture is thick but soft and wet, nearly soupy and bake until it is hot and bubbly. That detail matters. Southern dressing is designed to scoop, as opposed to cube heavy Northern stuffings, which desire to slice like a loaf. Unless yours is spoonable when it goes in the pan it is not going to be dreamy when it comes out. Southern cooks repeat this in millions of how tos and modern writers write it down in nearly comic impatience: “Be sure your mixture is soupy before you bake it.
You can add to that the touch of Brenda, who is neither fussy, nor pompous, nor dogmatic; you have, in simple words, a formula that is open to slight modification without leading to catastrophe. Want sage? Add it. No sage? Also correct. Would you rather have chicken stock than turkey broth? That would be okay (but turkey broth would add a richer Christmas flavor). And that is the secret, structure is definite, seasoning is plastic.
Ingredient Blueprint (Friendly (With Smart Option), Copycat friendly?
The following is an imitation friendly translation of the ingredients you will require, using the officially published gestation of Brenda Gantt Thanksgiving Dressing and Egg Bread structure, and with observations of well tested Southern dressing techniques:
To make the Egg Bread (a day before):
Self raising cornmeal (Brenda makes use of White Lily in her published Egg Bread)
Buttermilk
Eggs (so many–this is what makes the bread soft)
Solid grease (for the skillet)
Bake, and then cool, and crumble very fine. It has a soft texture; it is not your traditional crunchy skillet cornbread.
For the Dressing:
Egg Bread, crumbled
White bread, torn in bits (no crusts in the published formula by Brenda)
Celery and finely chopped onions.
Butter
Chicken soup, cream of (classic in the version published by Brenda)
Turkey broth (made of your own bird, where you can, though you can get away with water)
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional ingredients/spices (not mandatory): some rubbed sage or poultry seasoning, should your family insist on it (many imitation websites also use sage; the published recipe by Brenda does not necessarily include it).
Unless you are a canned soup person, we have a scratch cream base (see Variations bottom) and are gluten free, we will also discuss smart swaps (cornmeal mix and bread swaps). In this baseline recipe, however, it is this combination of egg bread and white bread and buttery onion/celery liquid and cream of chicken soup and turkey broth that provides that warm, scoopable dressing that many call Brenda style.
In case you wonder what to make with cornbread, there are myriad articles describing how to make buttermilk cornbread to wear (and why boxed sweet mixes should be avoided, distorting the flavor). It is good common sense: a savory cornbread is what you need to start with, and that is what Brenda Egg Bread provides.
Dressing Cornbread Brenda Style: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cornbread Dressing at Home.
1) Make Egg Bread a Day Ahead.
Preheat the oven to 400degF (200degC). Combine self rising corn meal, eggs and buttermilk and pour into a well greased cast iron skillet and bake until lightly browned (approximately 25 minutes in the published recipe). Allow to cool down then crush into fine. Covered overnight in the store so as to dry a bit. This light “egg bread” holds the honour of being to be used to dress–do not here replace your ultra crusty cornbread.
2) Prepare the Aromatic Base.
Adding to a pan with just enough water to cover, add chopped celery and onions and 1 stick of salted butter. Boil and cook tender. Add in cream of chicken soup and mix it with the buttery liquid. This is a savoury emulsified base which is then absorbed by the breads.
3) Layer the Breads (But Do Not Stir).
Add the crumbed bread of the egg in a big bowl. Cut up stale white bread into quarter size pieces and sprinkle on top,–do not stir. This weird bit is not accidental: first you pour the hot mixture of onions and celery on the torn white bread so that it softens evenly.
4) Hydrate, Then Mix.
Pour the scented liquid into the breads and make sure that each piece of white bread is wet. Allow to absorb 1-2 minutes then stir with a spoon. As soon as it is cool, change to your hands to loosen any lumps and have a uniform crumb.
5) Add Turkey Broth Until “Soupy.”
Add turkey broth slowly and stir. When the mass is thick yet soft and wet–bordering on the soupy–stop. It is your North Star that word; it will save a crumbly pan in time.
6) Bake Until Hot & Bubbly.
Pour into ungreased casserole or roasting pan and bake at 350degF (175degC) until hot and bubbly with lightly golden edges (time varies, depending on depth of pan; expect 35-55 minutes). What is wanted here is a soft, but firm dressing, which is scooped out with a spoon.
That is what is behind it as carried in Taste of the South and repeated by videos made by Brenda and her fan community. Should you be preparing with turkey, you could prepare the broth around the bird or can expand the purchased stock with the onion celery cooking liquid. In any case, have a taste of salt at the end; salt is added by cream of chicken soup and broth, so you will not need as much of it as you may imagine.
Texture & Flavor Tuning: Learn to make it soft, savoury and just right soup.
Speaking of texture, maybe that is where Southern dressing succeeds or fails. The biggest mistake is that it is not moist enough to bake. When you leave in in the oven a stiff, barely moist mass, you will leave it even drier. That is why the Southern cooks who have been around the block say the same mantra: “Be sure you use a soupy dressing mixture before it goes into the oven. In case of doubts, add additional turkey broth and mix once again. It will be baked in a soft scoop.
The balance of flavor is the mixture of butter and aromatics and broth and your proportion of bread. Egg Bread + white bread is traditional Brenda–when you change the proportion (you use less white bread) the mouthfeel will change to a slightly rougher one. Nothing wrong, just be aware of what you are trading. Should you desire a more herby taste, you may add sage, or a sprinkling of poultry season; many families use it as a rule, and others (as in the printed form of Brenda) omit it, and use onion celery butter purity instead. Both are Southwestern in the South; take your custom.
Common fixes:
Too salty? Work with low sodium broth, and keep in mind that canned soup is salty. Before baking add a splash of water/ unsalted stock to thin down slightly.
Too loose after baking? Allow it to cool out of the oven in 10 minutes. In case it is not firm enough, bake it another 5-10 minutes.
Not savory enough? Next time add a little ladle of additional drippings/broth of the turkey, or saute the onions/celery with butter and then boil to add a little richer base.
Dry leftovers? Add warm broth and a tiny piece of butter, cover, and bake at 325 deg F. until revived.
Southern food writers have repeated that “soupy” advice more than once, even the ones who identify that same texture endpoint in their own recipes and family traditions, so you can be confident about adding more stock than your intuition dictates. This oyster is expected to embrace the spoon.
Freezing and reheating (Holiday Logistics, Done Right) Make Ahead.
Good news: this dressing was made in consideration of holidays. The published Brenda recipe even hints that you can serve half on Thanksgiving and freeze the rest on Christmas and that there right there is the stress saving tip you would have been glad to know many years ago. Here’s a practical game plan.
T 2 to T 1 days: Bake Egg Bread, crumble and cover. Add celery/onions as desired.
T 1 day: Prepare to the point of the “soupy” mixture” then refrigerate and cover. Take out 30-40 minutes prior to baking to avoid slowing down your oven by the chill.
Day of (bake time): Bake at 350 degrees F until hot and bubbly. When your oven is busy, turn the pans and give the pans more time.
Freezing: Unbaked dressing (in foil pan) or fully baked dressing may be frozen. In the case of unbaked, refrigerate overnight and bake them in the normal manner. To bake, thaw and reheat covered at 325-350 deg F, with a splash of broth.
Reheating Leftovers: Add one spoon of stock and a small pat of butter, wrap in foil and heat until the middle gets hot.
When making large dishes, it is better to bake in two slightly shallow pans than a deep one, since the more surface area the faster it bakes, and the more smoothly it serves. And since this is a wet casserole, then you want to toot it out of the danger zone, and put it in the fridge within 2 hours after you eat it; then reheat only what you want to serve it. The above core make ahead/freezing instructions are taken directly off of the Taste of the South Brenda recipe notes, so you are running with the recommendation seconded.
Dietary Twists/ Variations ( Giblets, Sage, No Soup, Gluten Free, Veggie)
Classic sage or no sage: You do not need sage in the version published by Brenda, but most Southerners insist on it. In case that is your family, 1/2-1 tsp rubbed sage is a good place to start. A number of fan/copycat sites indicate that approach (with poultry seasoning sometimes added). Taste to preference,–there is no one right answer to this.
Giblet/turkey add ins: Want it more substantial, add chopped cooked giblets or shredded turkey–a Southern version nearly universal in magazines and community cooking. The general process remains the same: bang “soupy,” and then bake.
No soup, homemade: Prefer not to use canned soup? Borrow Southern Living or other scratch ways: light sauteing of the vegetables in the butter, a quick blond roux (butter + flour), rich stock can be added, and then it can be folded into your breads. It works in much the same way–creamy moisture secured into the casserole–without the can.
Gluten free: Egg Bread: Use a GF self rising cornmeal mix (or homemade: cornmeal + baking powder + salt) and use GF sandwich bread dried up and cut in place of the white bread. You can label your cream of chicken soup as check or use the scratch method in the above section to make it GF. The main dressing method is not based on gluten to stabilize it, so this substitution is a successful one; a few Southern recipes insist on cornbread + eggs + broth as the most important stabilizer.
Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock instead of turkey broth, use cream of mushroom or homemade veggie gravy, and think of adding sauteed mushrooms to add flavor. The soul is identical: mushy, meaty, spoonable comfort–no birds.
Herb forward or dairy light: Love herbs, steal some page out of the no soup dressing recipes and make fresh sage, thyme, parsley and stock and a bit of cream. Or go light dairy using more stock + eggs as structure; cannon ball Southern dressings (other than Brenda’s) are testament to the possibility of achieving the correct texture using those basics.
Eating, 2 people at once: Plate-building (How to Build the Rest Completely).
Consider the comfort anchor of your plate to be the cornbread dressing of Brenda. The savory sensory type enjoys traditional roast turkey and gravy, of course, but it also works with roasted chicken or holiday ham or even a rich braised beef, should your family have a wide range of traditions. You cannot go wrong on the vegetable side with green beans or collards or lemon garlic broccoli, and something tart–cranberry sauce–to counter all that warm richness. That is the way Southern holiday tables play the hits; a buttery, herbily scented starch; a sharp, tangy foil; and one or two greens to lighten it. Extensive Southern vacation newspapers once again confirm the fact that cornbread dressing is a side dish that holds its own because it goes well with everything on the menu.
In texture, you need to keep in mind you are not trying to cut the dressing in squares of an equal size; you will be taking large spoonfuls. Then put it in a dish with deep sides (so it will keep warm) and rest it a 10 minutes before it reaches the table. When you are serving a mixed group, then bake one standard pan and one herb or giblet pan and everyone will have his tradition. In the case of the gravy, a basic pan gravy made with drippings of the turkey or a stock based cream gravy will work- taste last, as the dressing will add its own savoury flavour.
And to clear out the old stuff: greetings to the Day After Skillet–a speedy saute of dressing, chopped turkey, a splash of broth, and a tenderly scrambled egg on top. It is the comfortable brunch your family is going to invite you to yearly (the reason you will start doubling your dressing recipe). Southern cooks always record the versatility and forgiveness of the dressing and how cornbread dressing can be made ahead of time and reheated, and hence a big pan is never too large.
Deep dives and guide (Practical Guides).
White Lily, Egg Bread, and Notes of ingredients that Matter.
The use of cornmeal is one of the reasons that make Brenda dress in such a distinctly Southern fashion. Her Egg Bread–the cornbread she bakes to dress–is made with White Lily self rising cornmeal in the published formula. White Lily boasts of a tender crumb because of its milled grain profile and inclusion of leavening and salt in the self rising mix. Is it a brand that you can replace? But of course–but keep a self rising cornmeal mixture to the same action. Even when you just have plain cornmeal you will have to add baking powder and salt on your own.
Buttermilk is something that will not be compromised on the traditional tang and tenderness. Brenda has Egg Bread, which is egg-laden–intentionally so–since she does not desire a crunchy, crumbly cornbread in this dish; she wants a fine, moist crumble that will be readily moistened with broth. The Egg Bread that was published uses five eggs and buttermilk; and it bakes quickly and light, only to cool and dry enough to absorb liquids the following day. That is a key distinction to cornbread in a skillet that you would serve with beans which tends to want a crunchy bite.
On cream of chicken soup: it is a significant texture ingredient in published dressing of Brenda–one that provides body and makes the casserole remain moist all the way to the edge. In the event that canned soup is not to your taste, the Southern magazines have the scratch versions, where you prepare a quick gravy (butter + flour + stock) and then fold it in. With this trick, you will be replicating the feel of the canned soup and have a clean label should you like.
Brands discounted, the point is technique: soft Egg Bread + white bread + buttery onion/celery liquid + just a bit of turkey broth to make it soupy. Strike those anchors and your dressing will be distinctly “Brenda”–even when you are making it outside the U.S., or with local cornmeal.
Why Her “Egg Bread” Is Not Your Dollar-A-Day Skillet Cornbread.
Brenda prefers softer cornbread which she calls Egg Bread and which she uses in dressing as well as in any recipe where she does not desire the crunch. In the published edition, it literally has three ingredients, self rising cornmeal, eggs and buttermilk and the egg amount is large to provide a soothing, creamy crumb that does not go grainy. She cooks it in a greased cast iron skillet at 400degF until it is lightly browned–approximately 25 minutes–then cools and crumbs it very fine. The coarse crumble brings out additional surface area on which the broth can cling hence the dressing comes to be plush and smooth instead of rough.
Egg Bread will come as a shock to those accustomed to cornbread with a crackly crust and a sweet leaning crumb (or boxed mixes). It’s savory and gentle. That’s the point. The flavor of the dressing must be made by broth and aromatics, but not sugar; the texture must be soft, not cake slice hard. Most Southern dressing recipes (not Brenda’s) follow a very similar profile of cornbread-savoury and buttermilk-powered with the warning of not using sweet cornbread or excessive crust. Magazines such as Southern Living keep on repeating this rule: prepare some good, savory cornbread, then more or less of onion/celery/herbs/broth-way. Your Egg Bread, Brenda, offers you a head start on the basis of tenderness being assured.
To prove the difference, yourself, prepare your ordinary skillet cornbread and Brenda Egg Bread side by side, bake, then crumble, hydrate and bake two mini-pans. The majority of people prefer Egg Bread; this dressing is rooted nearer to what they recall of Southern holiday tables: creamy smoother than lumpy crumbly, without any dry pockets. As soon as you experience the difference with a spoon, it is not going back.
Broth Science: What Turkey Broth Is Making The Difference.
Dress them with chicken stock and it will be tasty; yet, there is a reason why Brenda has published the recipe as it is, with turkey broth, instead of chicken, and this is, it will layer exactly with the flavor of the day, of the browned, roasty, notes that say holiday. The magazine article even mentions that you should not run out of turkey broth, but feel free to make it water, and that it is the foundation flavor that you are looking to achieve, and not salt density. It’s one of one of those notes that sound like a grandmother in your ear–Use what you have, child, but begin with turkey when you can.
Practically speaking, broth inhibits salt and moisture. Cream of chicken soup already contains salt, so it is prudent to use a low sodium broth (or homemade) to enable you to add salt at the end. And don’t forget the soupy benchmark, you might put in more broth than you will think. Countless times do Southern cooks who write about dressing tutorials warn us against it, since no one aims at dry dressing. Should you get it too soupy, yet still banned up drier than you prefer, you may sprinkle a little bit of hot broth over the top in the last 10 minutes or serve with additional gravy.
To make turkey broth yourself, simmer the neck and the backbone (had you spatchcocked), onion, celery, carrot, bay and water. Light, keep it light, you want to have the turkey aromatic scent, not a demi-gel. Strain, defat, and warm, and then stir into your dressing. Chef y technique is not imposed, though, in the published recipe–it only invites you to use the flavor of the turkey itself to make the pan of dressing a part of the bird, in its story.
Sage or No Sage? Knowing the Regional Preferences.
There is not a gentler and fiercer holiday controversy to contend with than sage Southern dressing. Other families will refuse to serve dressing without it, others will say that it is not appropriate. Thanksgiving Dressing published by Brenda does not call on sage but relies on the fragrance of onion, celery, butter, broth, and soup- a cleaner characterization. In the meantime, even numerous copycat write ups add some small bubbles of rubbed sage or poultry seasoning, because at home, that holiday smell is a requirement. There is a variety of regional and family traditions, and both ways are fine.
In a pinch (1/4-1/2 teaspoon) of rubbed sage may be added to half the pan–literally divide before baking and add sage to one half. Let your table decide. Or proceed with herb in a scratch, no soup edition and add fresh sage + thyme sauteed with the vegetables; magazines such as Southern Living generally recommend this method as one that allows people to enjoy the herb perfume without a can of soup.
One more comment: the intensity of sage is all over the place brand to brand. When yours is full-bodied or very fresh, begin small, than you imagine. The clothing must be savory and comfortable rather than medicinal. And in case you ever fancied why some families never venture on it at all, it is merely because they have been accustomed in youth to a soup based dressing where onion celery butter + broth already furnishes the holiday smell–and they never lacked the herbs to start with.
Dressing vs. Stuffing (and Why Southerners Care).
To Southerners, there is a difference between dressing and stuffing. Dressing is baked on its own (not in the turkey), and in the South is prepared using cornbread–not cubed bread only. Stuffing, on the other hand, is frequently cooked into the bird and is put on top of cubes (French bread, sandwich bread) with herbs. A favorite Southern blogger reduced it to a nutshell: dressing stuffing–different base, different method, different tradition. It is a distinction, but not as a gatekeeping thing, but rather as an influence both on texture and expectations.
In practice, baking dressing separately enables you to have more control over the amount of moisture and done-ness (and avoid food safety traps). The published Brenda recipe is more accepting of that: stir to a soup, pour into a casserole, and draw it out hot and bubbling. What comes out is spoonable comfort which will not rely on turkey juices being able to taste like turkey- because your broth already will be doing that- just like you are.
No problem, even if you have always referred to stuffing regardless. It is the form, the structure–cornbread forward, aromatic, full of broth–and the memory that it contains in common in which it is shared. And when a visitor inquires why the dressing is not in the bird, you may smile and tell him that we are doing it the Southern way. Then serve seconds.
The Gluten Free or Dairy Light Way (Without Losing That Southern Soul).
There is great news to hosts with a mixed needs juggle: cornbread dressing is easily modified. Cornmeal is the primary flour ingredient, and the binding comes provided by eggs + broth- thus you don’t need gluten to hold things together. To go gluten free, simply:
1) Add either a GF self rising cornmeal mix (or a mix of cornmeal, baking powder and salt).
2) Replace the old white bread with a GF sandwich bread (dry it in the low oven and cut it).
3) Either purchase a GF cream of chicken soup or prepare a quick homemade gravy (butter + GF flour + rich stock). According to Southern editors, this scratch route is tasting good no matter the dietary requirements–ideal when you are in charge and want to be.
To make it dairy light, make the butter tame (or boil the onion/celery in a neutral oil), and rely on stock. Buttermilk can also be used in Egg Bread provided that dairy can be used in small quantities, but otherwise create a dairy free version of buttermilk (plant milk + 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar) and know that it will not be the same but will provide similar light tanginess.
To vegetarians, use vegetable stock instead of turkey broth, omit cream of chicken, and use cream of mushroom or homemade veggie gravy. You can also add sauteed mushrooms to add depth, and you will have that cuddly holiday texture. Scratch dressing is glorified in the publications that are in the best tradition of Southern Living; you need only look to the first page of the magazine to identify a richly flavored, meatless pan when the emphasis is taken from technique and balance the can itself.
Ten Steps to Scaling a Crowd and Ten Steps to Food Safety Basics: Holiday Casseroles.
Crowd math is very easy: a single 9×13 pan should fit 8-12 at a time, depending on the rest of the spread; sheet pan shallow baked shall have more and heat faster. Use several smaller pans, rather than one large deep dish, to prevent cold centers and acquire more lightly golden edges (the best bites).
In the case of timelines, borrow a page of Taste of the South and freeze half, should you have two holidays within a month or so–Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is one of those pieces of advice, which sound rather common sense until one does it once and starts to save herself/his whole repeat-cooking day. Make no shame in adding a splash of stock to bring back life to that freshly prepared texture when it is heated again.
Simple safety: since the dressing is a wet casserole consisting of eggs and broth, refrigerate it within two hours of cooking. Bring to a boil, until boiling all over (middle must be boiling), and do not boil the same pot twice. When you are serving a buffet line, you can use smaller pans to replace a single pan instead of keeping a big pan sitting on the counter. It is not Brenda particular teachings, but common sense casserole habits. The recipe of Brenda itself emphasizes baking until it is hot and bubbly, which to home cookers would mean you have reached the safe delicious zone with the entire dish.
Pantry Swaps, Location Swaps (When You Can Not Find U.S. Brands)
Eating out of the U.S. or buying another grocery? Easy tweaks keep you on track:
Self rising cornmeal mix: In case it is not available, fine cornmeal + baking powder + salt are combined to replicate the rising and seasoning. It does not require the same White Lily brand, but what makes Egg Bread remain tender and not bother with it is the self rising.
Butter milk: Homemade: Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice/vinegar to 1 cup of milk; allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
Cream of chicken soup: Prepare a thick stock gravy (butter + flour + stock) and season to taste–this is the scratch path taken by Southern editors.
Turkey broth: Chicken stock and a spoon of roast drippings gives it flavor; the addition of a bay leaf during warming mumbles, saying holiday.
White sandwich bread: Any soft, dry, plain loaf of bread dried and cut into pieces. This is to tenderize the crumb and not put in fireworks of flavor.
You will discover that the method is the magic once you have baked that perfect scoop of that soupy mixture. The very brand name is pleasant, however, the method is what provides Brenda style comfort on a consistent basis.
