Karen’s Southern Cornbread Stuffing with Chestnuts, Dried Cherries & Herbs
Nov 21, 2024
A Delicious Well Seasoned Stuffing with Southern Charm! Studded with Vegetables and two great fall herbs ~ Tarragon & Sage
What’s to Love About This Stuffing?
THE FLAVORS!
AND it is made with just the right amount of butter for flavor and broth to moisten – no eggs necessary!!
The Method:
- Onions, Leeks and Jalapeño are sautéed in butter in a heavy pot
- Shiitake Mushrooms, Dried Unsweetened Cherries and Grated Carrots are added
- Then, chopped Tarragon (a lot of it!), chopped Sage and Corn Kernels (fresh) are added
- Now Chicken Broth, Water and Tart Cherry Juice (adds a nice flavor) are added to moisten
- The toasted bread cubes are stirred in – they will soften in the mix
- Lastly, the cornbread is added, stirred a little so it breaks up slightly
- Ready to be added to a buttered 9″ x 13″ baking dish. (can be made ahead of time here and refrigerated up to 2 days, covered very well!
- Warm in the oven – then broil 8″ from heat source for a crispy topping
- Add a big spoon and serve!
I added minced jalapeño for a hint of heat and to contrast the bings cherry’s natural sweetness.
I’m using Cornbread & Bread Cubes! Cubing the Homemade Cornbread and Dave’s Killer White Bread Done Right (a great bread without unwanted preservatives and organic) for the perfect balance
See my recipe! Karen’s All American Cornbread
Cubing the Homemade Cornbread and Dave’s Killer White Bread Done Right (a great bread without unwanted preservatives and organic)
See my recipe! Karen’s All American Cornbread
Make your own Cornbread!
Cornbread is easy to make – the taste & texture is superior to any boxed variety.
See below! Many unwanted and unhealthy ingredients.
AND you can make now, ahead of time and freeze (bring to room temperature before cubing.)
Jiffy® Corn Muffin Mix Ingredients: I’m not liking all of these preservatives!
Wheat Flour, Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Lard (Hydrogenated Lard, BHT and Citric Acid Preservatives), Contains Less than 2% of: Baking Soda, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Wheat Starch.
Jiffy® Corn Muffin Mix Ingredients:
Wheat Flour, Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Lard (Hydrogenated Lard, BHT and Citric Acid Preservatives), Contains Less than 2% of: Baking Soda, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Wheat Starch.
Is It Stuffing or Dressing?
Explanation: Stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish
The term “dressing” became more common in Southern cookbooks in the early 19th century. This was part of a broader trend of Victorian-era social refinement, where certain words, like “stuffing,” were deemed too rustic or crass for polite conversation.
In the American South, dressing is often made with cornbread instead of white bread. In New England or the Pacific Northwest, stuffing can include shellfish.
Conclusion:
In the Northeast, it’s called stuffing. In the South, it’s called dressing.
I live in the Northeast… so I always call it “stuffing!”
A Little History:
- Stuffing starts to take a much more prominent place at the holiday table
- Early Thanksgiving menus from the 19th century list stuffed turkeys and hams as main courses, indicating that by the 1800s, stuffing had come to the forefront of most holiday meals
- Today, the holidays in the United States would be considered incomplete without this classic side-dish
Tender with crispy edges. Chock full of delicious ingredients!
Make this stuffing! Will be the star at your Thanksgiving Table,
Karen
Also See: Karen’s Thanksgiving Recipes: Turkey, Gravy and All the Sides to Make, Serve & Devour!
Karen’s Southern Cornbread with Chestnuts, Dried Cherries & Herbs
Ingredients
- 6 cups cornbread* , 1" cubes (see my recipe!
- 6 cups sliced bread*, crusts removed, 1/2 cubes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, I use organic
- 1/2 cup onion, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup leeks, whites and light greens, cleaned- diced
- 1 cup celery, peeled, diced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, clean and diced (approximately 5 ounces)
- 3/4 cup carrot, peeled, coarsely shredded
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, unsweetened, cut in half
- 1 cup roasted chestnuts, peeled , from jar, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup low salt chicken broth
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons all natural tart cherry juice*
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, (cut from one medium cob of corn)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut bread slices into 1/2 " cubes. Spread on two baking sheets and toast until dry, and just golden, about 10 minutes. Reserve.Cut the cornbread into 1 inch cubes, set aside. (See my recipe!)
- In a large pot, add the butter, melt over moderate heat. Add the onion, leeks, and celery. Cook, stirring over low heat until softened, 5 minutes.
- Add shiitake mushrooms, carrots and dried cherries, stir for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the chestnuts, sage, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Add the chicken stock, water and corn kernels. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and add the toasted bread cubes, stir well to moisten the bread. Add the cornbread cubes, mix to combine – the cornbread will crumble just a bit… this is good!
- Turn the heat off, let sit 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings.
- Place the stuffing in a buttered 9 " x 13" baking pan.
- Cover with foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
- Broil 8 inches from the heat source for a few minutes if you like a crisped topped stuffing.
- Garnish with a plenty of fresh parsley or tarragon!
Notes
(organic, no unwanted ingredients and preservatives) Tart Cherry Juice: I use Lakewood brand, organic. Adds a nice flavor and subtle flavor.. can substitute 2T. chicken broth. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Karen’s All American Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 9" X 9" baking pan can also use 9" loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cornmeal, organic, medium grind
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1 cup flour, use all-purpose gluten free flour for GF
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, or sour cream & milk mixed together
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, from one medium ear of corn
Instructions
- Cut kernels off cob. Steam for just 2 minutes until crisp tender, cool.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a loaf pan or a 9"x9" baking pan.In a bowl, stir together the first 6 ingredients (cornmeals through salt) until blended. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is blended. Do not over mix.
- Spread into the pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool and cut into squares.
Delicious with Honey Butter:
- Mix equal parts of room temperature whipped butter with honey. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Use immediately or refrigerate and scoop with a cookie scoop next to each wedge of cornbread.
Suggestions:
- For a sweet cornbread: adjust the sugar to 2/3 cup.
- For stuffing, you can substitute the fresh corn for 1/4 cup chopped pecans.
- * For a lighter textured corn bread use HALF Corn Flour (not cornstarch) and HALF medium grind Cornmeal. Corn Flour: made from very finely milled dried corn kernels. I LOVE THIS!!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
