Around every table, there is a story.

Some recipes are written down precisely. Others are passed along through memory, instinct, and generations of cooks who know when the seasoning tastes just right. This Thanksgiving, members of the Second Harvest team are sharing cornbread recipes that have become part of their own family traditions. We hope you’ll enjoy the recipes—and the stories that come with them.​

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Aunt's Homemade Cornbread Dressing

The smell of this cornbread dressing used to wake Kina up as a child on Thanksgiving morning. Today, the dish is a favorite in her own family.

Like many treasured family recipes, this one is guided more by feel than exact measurements. Taste as you go, she advises—especially when adding the sage, salt, and pepper.

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For the cornbread

• 1 package Martha White Self-Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix (enough for an 8x8-inch pan)

• Ingredients called for on the package

• A little extra buttermilk (to make the cornbread extra moist)

• 1–2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
   

Bake according to the package directions and let the cornbread cool. Crumble it into a large mixing bowl.

 

For the stock

• 1 stick (½ cup) butter​

• 3–4 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• Dried parsley, to taste

• 3 tablespoons rubbed sage (add more if desired)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

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In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the celery, green pepper, onion, and garlic, and sauté until softened. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the parsley, sage, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 10–15 minutes, then taste the broth and adjust the seasonings as needed.

 

To Assemble

• Crumbled cornbread

• Prepared vegetable stock

• 1 jar chicken gravy

• 6 eggs, beaten

• Optional: 2–3 cups cooked shredded chicken or turkey​

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Pour the warm stock over the crumbled cornbread and mix well. Stir in the chicken gravy and beaten eggs. If using cooked chicken or turkey, fold it in now. The mixture should be fairly loose and slightly soupy—don't worry, it will set as it bakes. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake uncovered at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until the dressing is set and lightly browned on top. If it begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time.

 

Tip: The secret to great dressing is seasoning the broth well before mixing it with the cornbread. It should be flavorful, and the dressing mixture should seem a little wetter than you think it needs to be—it will bake up perfectly moist.

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Mama's Appalachian Oyster Dressing

Nikki’s recipe comes from her mama’s collection and carries the unmistakable character of her Appalachian roots. The collection includes plain dressing, chicken dressing, and Nikki’s personal favorite, shared here: Oyster dressing.

She readily admits that oyster dressing can be an acquired taste—and that this old family recipe was created with tradition, not nutrition facts, in mind. But that is also part of its story: a distinctive dish, passed down and still enjoyed because Thanksgiving tables have room for the recipes families love.

 

A note from Nikki: This original recipe takes a couple of days, but making it all in one day is every bit as delicious. 🙂

 

Cornbread

Make the cornbread 1–2 days before preparing the dressing. Slightly dry cornbread makes the best dressing because it soaks up all the broth without becoming mushy! 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups white cornmeal (traditional), though yellow cornmeal is delicious too!

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups buttermilk

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons melted bacon grease (for the batter)

 

For the skillet:

• 1–2 tablespoons bacon grease

 

Instructions

1. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F with the skillet inside.

3. Once the oven is hot, add 1–2 tablespoons of bacon grease to the skillet. Return it to the oven for 2–3 minutes, until the grease is piping hot.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, and baking soda.

5. Stir in the buttermilk, egg, and the melted bacon grease until just combined. Don’t overmix.

6. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and swirl the bacon grease to coat the bottom and sides.

7. Immediately pour the batter into the skillet. It should sizzle when it hits the hot grease.

8. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Oyster Dressing

 

Ingredients

• The cornbread above, preferably 1–2 days old (or cooled for at least an hour if you’re short on time)

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons bacon grease (or butter… the real kind 😉)

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage (more to taste)

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• Salt, to taste (go easy—the oysters and their liquid add salt)

• 3–4 cups chicken or turkey broth

• Two (2) 8-ounce cans of oysters, liquid reserved
   

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Sauté the onion and celery in the bacon grease until soft.

3. In a large bowl, crumble the cornbread. Stir in the onion, celery, sage, pepper, eggs, and the reserved oyster liquid.

4. Gradually add enough chicken or turkey broth to make the mixture very wet. (If someone says it looks too wet, tell them, “It’ll bake.”… because that’s what Mom always said … and she was right. 😉)

5. Gently fold in the oysters last, leaving them whole or cutting the largest ones once or twice if you prefer.

6. Transfer to a lightly greased baking dish and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is browned.

 

The oysters gently poach in the dressing as it bakes, creating one of the most delicious and unexpected side dishes you’ll ever put on the table! 

 

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