Cornbread dressing recipe with mushrooms and leeks is a twist on a family favorite
Cornbread dressing is a must on my Thanksgiving table and my favorite part of the entire meal. The version that my family typically prepares includes celery, onions, peppers, chicken and/or turkey stock, sometimes a few pieces of turkey meat mixed in, and a smattering of herbs and spices, but each family and cook prepares it differently. Some like to use packaged corn muffin mix for convenience and flavor it with sausage and apples, while others include white bread in the mix and are all about the crispy bits.
Though I might get disowned from my family if I prepared something other than the standard version for the big meal, cornbread dressing is ripe for experimentation. Enter this mushroom and leek version, a vegetarian spin on my family’s standard recipe.
Making cornbread dressing, naturally, starts with cornbread. The recipe I’ve shared below is a version of my mother’s. While you can make this recipe from start to finish in one day, I recommend baking the cornbread in advance to spread out the cooking and make your time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day a little easier. (You can also assemble the dressing in advance and bake it right before serving.)
To assemble the dressing, start by sauteing mushrooms until browned for meaty umami. Creminis are always easy to find, or you could use oyster or hen of the woods mushrooms if you’re feeling fancy — feel free to mix and match and use whatever type(s) you like. Then, add in some leeks for subtle onion taste and sweetness, and flavor it with fresh tarragon for a woodsy, citrusy note, a couple cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. (It’s important to wait to salt the mushrooms until after they’re browned.)
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The last step is to combine the mushroom mixture with the cornbread and vegetable stock. It’s key at this point to make sure there’s enough liquid for a moist dressing, as some of the stock will evaporate as it bakes. To that end, the dressing mixture should look a little soupy before it goes into the oven, like you’ve made a mistake and added too much liquid. (You haven’t.) The amount of stock listed below led to the perfect consistency in my tests, but it’s always wise to have a little extra on hand in case your batch of cornbread is super absorbent for whatever reason. (If you’ve never made cornbread dressing before and are feeling nervous about it being dry, add in extra stock and you can always bake it a little longer, if needed.)
Share this articleShareMake this entire recipe from start to finish in a cast-iron skillet if you want to use only one pan, or bust out your finest casserole dish if you’re feeling fancy.
Make Ahead: The cornbread can be baked up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The dressing can be assembled up to 1 day before and baked just before serving.
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Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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