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.

Chef Mashama Bailey’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe 

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.

A combination of flour and fat, [roux](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-a-roux-step-by-step-guide) 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](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/fish-and-grits-recipe-by-mashama-bailey), Oyster Hand Pies, and [Okra Gumbo Z’Herbes](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/okra-gumbo-recipe-by-mashama-bailey)). 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](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-jambalaya)), along with a variety of light brown shades in between.

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.

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 Cornbread Dressing?

A combination of flour and fat, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-a-roux-step-by-step-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-a-roux-step-by-step-guide","linkCopy":"roux","category":null}'>roux</a> 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 <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/fish-and-grits-recipe-by-mashama-bailey' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/fish-and-grits-recipe-by-mashama-bailey","linkCopy":"Fish and Grits","category":null}'>Fish and Grits</a>, Oyster Hand Pies, and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/okra-gumbo-recipe-by-mashama-bailey' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/okra-gumbo-recipe-by-mashama-bailey","linkCopy":"Okra Gumbo Z’Herbes","category":null}'>Okra Gumbo Z’Herbes</a>). 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 <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-jambalaya' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-jambalaya","linkCopy":"jambalaya","category":null}'>jambalaya</a>), along with a variety of light brown shades in between.

What Is a Roux?

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.

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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Chef Mashama Bailey’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe