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Chef Mashama Bailey’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Nov 3, 2024 • 4 min read

When Chef Mashama Bailey was growing up, cornbread dressing made its annual holiday appearance alongside roasted turkey. Here, she serves it alongside pan-roasted quail and a rich Creole sauce.

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What Is Cornbread Dressing?

Cornbread dressing is a cornbread-based side dish typically served at Thanksgiving. Unlike cornbread stuffing, cornbread dressing is typically served next to the main dish (usually turkey), while cornbread stuffing is baked inside the cavity of the bird. To make cornbread dressing, crumbled cornbread is typically moistened with chicken stock, seasoned, and baked until golden brown in a large skillet or baking dish. For her twist on Southern cornbread dressing, Chef Bailey swaps the chicken stock for a flavorful Creole sauce made with shrimp stock and white wine. Cornbread dressing can vary in density; some people like it to be a bit lighter and moist—Chef Bailey included—but feel free to experiment and make the dressing your own.

What Is a Roux?

A combination of flour and fat, roux is the secret ingredient that thickens sauces, gravies, and soups, giving a luxurious finish to some of Chef Bailey’s favorite dishes (including the Creole sauce featured in this recipe, as well as Chef Bailey’s Fish and Grits, Oyster Hand Pies, and Okra Gumbo Z’Herbes). Typically using one part fat (oil or butter) to one part flour, a roux forms after whisking the mixture constantly over heat until it reaches an optimal shade of color—ranging from white (cooked for the shortest period of time and often used for sauces, soups, and chowders) to dark brown (cooked for the longest period of time and popular in Southern American Creole and Cajun dishes like gumbo and jambalaya), along with a variety of light brown shades in between.

Chef Mashama Bailey’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe

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19 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

prep time

20 min

total time

2 hr

cook time

1 hr 40 min

Ingredients

For the cornbread dressing:

For the blackening spice:

For the Creole sauce:

  1. 1

    Make the cornbread. Bake your favorite cornbread recipe and allow it to cool completely or purchase premade cornbread from the grocery store. Cut the cornbread into small squares. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Make the blackening spice. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

  3. 3

    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

  4. 4

    Begin the Creole Sauce. Place a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

  5. 5

    Make a roux by melting the butter, adding the flour, and stirring to combine. Continue to stir the roux as the flour toasts and becomes a light brown color, about 10 minutes.

  6. 6

    After 10 minutes, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and stir to incorporate.

  7. 7

    Add the garlic, stir again, and allow the mixture to cook down, about 4 to 5 minutes.

  8. 8

    Add a pinch of salt, and keep stirring gently, ensuring that the roux is evenly coating the vegetables.

  9. 9

    Once the vegetables have begun to soften and break down (after about 5 to 7 minutes), add 20 grams of the blackening spice, white pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and shrimp powder. Stir to incorporate.

  10. 10

    Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.

  11. 11

    Add the shrimp stock, pouring a little in at first. Stir the mixture, then add the rest. (You might want to switch from a spoon to a whisk at this point.)

  12. 12

    Reduce the heat and cook the sauce down for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, fold in the crab meat, oysters, or shrimp to taste if preferred. Set the sauce aside.

  13. 13

    Meanwhile, continue making the cornbread dressing. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to crumble the cornbread cubes.

  14. 14

    In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and set aside. Return to the cornbread crumbles. Add the grated onion, sage, cayenne, and black pepper, and mix well by hand.

  15. 15

    Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the stock mixture, and carefully pour the majority of the hot liquid over the cornbread mixture (reserve a small amount for a drizzle over the top of each dish when serving).

  16. 16

    Add the whisked eggs to the cornbread and stock a little bit at a time, stirring as you go to temper the mixture.

  17. 17

    Continue stirring well as you add the eggs until they’re fully incorporated. The mixture should be wet but not runny.

  18. 18

    Add the salt, and stir again.

  19. 19

    Use a stick of butter to grease the sides and bottom of an 8-inch-square pan (nonstick spray is also fine).

  20. 20

    Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan and bake for about 1 hour. You want it to be a bit jiggly in the center. After 1 hour, remove the dressing from the oven and set it aside to rest.

  21. 21

    Spoon a serving of the cornbread dressing onto a plate and drizzle with the reserved Creole sauce. Serve immediately.

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