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 co*ke Jello Salad or 7 Up Salad.

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

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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

What is traditional dressing made of? ›

Dressing: Dressing typically includes ingredients like cornbread, white bread, or biscuits, mixed with vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes sausage or other meats. It is often moistened with broth or stock and baked in a casserole dish until it forms a crust on top.

What is the difference between cornbread dressing and stuffing? ›

"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 do Southerners call dressing? ›

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.

Why do you put eggs in dressing? ›

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread. I'm a no egg person - and I still stuff the bird (but also do a batch out of the bird). me, too, Chem - I make a boatload of dressing (we never stuff the bird) specifically so I have leftovers to eat with gravy.

What are the three 3 kinds 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 ...

What is the most popular dressing in the world? ›

Most Famous Dressings in the World
  1. Ranch Dressing. The ranch is a salad dressing or dip made with buttermilk, salt, garlic, onions, herbs (dill, parsley, chives, etc.), and spices (mustard seeds, black pepper, paprika, etc.) ...
  2. Fry Sauce. ...
  3. Chermoula. ...
  4. Blue Cheese Dressing. ...
  5. Thousand Island Dressing. ...
  6. Italian Dressing.

Do Southerners eat stuffing or dressing? ›

This is down to a science: A 2015 survey conducted on behalf of the poultry company Butterball revealed that, regardless of how the dish was cooked, most of the country—including 100 percent of New Englanders—refers to the side as stuffing, while Southerners are devoted dressing fans.

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.

Do Southern people call stuffing dressing? ›

Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.

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 do Northerners call stuffing? ›

Both dressing and stuffing are side dishes served at most Thanksgiving tables. It depends on the part of the country you are from as to what you call it. Those in the south use the term dressing interchangeably; whereas those in the northern states generally refer to the dish as stuffing.

What do Texans call stuffing? ›

One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.

Is it better to use broth or stock for dressing? ›

You can use either stock or broth for keeping dressing moist or as a basis for gravy, but a strong flavor will give you better results.

How to keep cornbread dressing from being gummy? ›

Stir occasionally to ensure even drying. And if your dressing is still too mushy after baking, you can add more crumbled cornbread, dry bread, or even dry breadcrumbs or croutons to absorb excess moisture. Mix it in gently, so you don't compress the dressing too much.

Why put mayo in eggs? ›

The mayo helps to stabilize the mixture and incorporate more egg into the eggs, making them fluffy. Plus, the extra fat can also make them silkier, and more rich.

What is the original salad dressing? ›

French dressing is the oldest one on our list, but vinegar and oil dressing goes back nearly two-thousand years to ancient Babylonia. The Italian dressing we know is said to have been developed by the wife of a restaurant owner in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1941.

What is the common ingredient in cooked dressings? ›

There are many variations of boiled dressing, and common ingredients include vinegar, sugar or honey, milk or cream, eggs or egg yolks, salt, mustard, cayenne and flour. Sometimes, the dressing is actually boiled but more often, it is gently cooked over boiling water in a double boiler.

What is the most common salad dressing? ›

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper. A creamier and richer version often features sour cream or yogurt for enhanced taste.

What is dressing for Thanksgiving made of? ›

By Sam Sifton. This classic Thanksgiving dressing, made with bread, celery, onions, apples, chestnuts, thyme and sage, is relatively simple to execute. It would do well at almost any time of the year as an accompaniment to roast chicken or pork.

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