Cornbread Dressing is the only way we make our dressing during the holidays. We’re sharing a new dressing recipe made with chicken, croissants, and caramelized onions. Croissant Cornbread Dressing with Chicken recipe calls for many ingredients, but the outcome is absolutely delicious! Grab the recipe down below!
Croissant Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
The holidays are all about good food, am I right? And if your family tradition included chicken dressing, then you can’t get much better than our homemade chicken dressing with sagey cornbread and toasted butter croissants. Oh, we threw in some caramelized onions. No summer squash and peaches in this one, Karen! Wait, did I say that out loud. My bad. Sorry? Let’s dig in!
Toasting the croissant cubes is a good move, and doing so ensures the bread won’t break apart or become soggy.
Good homemade food is all about the freshest veggies, a good recipe, patience, and lots of tender loving care. We got them all!
Using chicken bone broth in your dressing is the way to go because the intense flavor of bone broth adds deep flavor regular stock cannot match.
This is soul food at its most delicious finest!
Before you make the dressing, you will need to cook the chicken.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
- 1 Whole Chicken
- 3/4 cup of onions, chopped
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
- 2 Tablespoons of EVOO
- 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
Directions:
- Place a rinsed and thawed whole chicken into a large stockpot, add a quarter onion, two bay leaves, one tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, two celery stalks chopped, one large carrot peeled and chopped, and three garlic cloves, chopped.
- Fill the pot with water until it is just over the chicken. Cook on the stovetop for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the stove, and place the chicken into a large platter. Allow the chicken to cool.
- When the chicken to cool enough to handle safely, cut away to cups of chicken, chopped up the chicken. Set aside. You can also use your Kitchen-Aid Mixer to shred the chicken.
Next, make the cornbread dressing while the chicken is cooking.
Prep: Make cornbread from scratch using your favorite cornbread recipe (here is one we use). I add two tablespoons of sage and poultry seasoning to my cornbread when using it to make the dressing. When finished, allow the bread to cool and break into crumbles.
Prep the Croissants
Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Cut croissants into one-inch cubes, spread them evenly onto a cookie sheet, and place them into the oven for ten minutes.
Herb Butter recipe: To make the herb butter, add two sticks of butter into a measuring cup, add one tablespoon of each: fresh minced rosemary, fresh minced thyme, rubbed sage, poultry seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. Place a loose-fitting lid or a damp paper towel over the measuring cup and heat until the mixture is melted. Set aside.
How to make Cornbread Dressing With Chicken
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients needed for the cornbread dressing:
- 4 cups Croissant, cut into 1″ cubes (you prepped this above)
- 4 cups cornbread, crumbled (you prepared this above)
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves
- small bunch of washed and drained flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, sliced thin
- 3 stalks green onion, sliced thin
- 2 cups of chicken bone broth or stock
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rubbed sage
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 cup melted herb butter (see above on how to make)
- Chopped Chicken (you prepped this above)
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Directions:
- Place a skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced red peppers, green peppers, celery, and green onion. Sauté the vegetable mixture for 3-4 minutes, remove the veggies from the skillet, and set aside.
- Add two (2) tablespoons of unsalted butter. When the butter is melted, brown the thinly sliced onions, and continue to stir occasionally until the onions start to brown. Adjust the heat to its lowest setting and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add crumbled cornbread, chopped chicken, seasonings, sautéed vegetables, chopped parsley, and one cup of chicken bone broth or stock.
- Gently combine the mixture, add in half of the croissants and the remaining cup of chicken bone broth or stock, and continue to mix gently.
- Top with the remaining croissants and press them gently into the mixture, drizzle the melted herb butter on top and cook in a preheated oven for an hour. Tip: If the top is browning too quickly, place loose foil on top and continue to bake. For the last five minutes, remove the foil and continue. The top of the dressing should be golden brown.
- Remove dressing from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve.
Pro-tip: If you plan to make this for a large family, triple the recipe. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.
Here are a few side dishes to pair with our Crossiant Cornbread Dressing with Chicken recipe:
Creamy Collard Greens with Bacon
How to make Pan Cooked Garlic Broccolini
50+ of the BEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes
If you’re ready for a change in how you make your Thanksgiving stuffing, then definitely give this recipe a try! And if this is your first time hosting Thanksgiving or cooking everything, be sure to check out this most for simple Thanksgiving recipes.
How to Know When Dressing Is Done?
You will find the liquid that is in the dressing will soak into the cornbread and the croissants. Then the top will become a golden brown color. This generally takes around an hour to cook.
You will find at the end of cooking remove the foil to ensure it can get a light golden color on top.
Why Do You Let The Croissant Dressing Rest Before Serving?
First it is going to be very hot. But also allowing the dressing to rest a bit is going to help fully firm up the stuffing so that when you go to scoop it comes out well formed, and doesn’t fall apart when you place on your plate.
What Should The Consistency of Stuffing Be?
You will want your dressing to be moist but not overly wet. If it becomes too dry you will find that it can take away from the flavor of the dish.
The goal is to always keep an eye on your dish, so it doesn’t overcook. Most ovens do cook similar but you will find sometimes due to altitude and how an oven heats the cook time can vary a bit.
Can I Make This Dressing Without Chicken?
If you want a meatless dressing go right ahead and leave the chicken out. It will take away a bit of the flavor but overall it will be a delicious holiday worthy side dish.
Use a vegetable stock in replace of the chicken broth if you want a vegetarian style dressing.
Find more dressing recipes below:
Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Spicy Thanksgiving Turkey & Dressing Sandwich
Vegan Stuffing Recipe using Sourdough + Cornbread Dressing
Loaded Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- Ingredients needed for the cornbread dressing:
- 4 cups Croissant cut into 1" cubes (you prepped this above)
- 4 cups cornbread crumbled (you prepared this above)
- 1 large sweet onion sliced thin
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 4 large garlic cloves
- small bunch of washed and drained flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves sliced thin
- 3 stalks green onion sliced thin
- 2 cups of chicken bone broth or stock
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rubbed sage
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 cup melted herb butter see above on how to make
- Chopped Chicken you prepped this above
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced red peppers, green peppers, celery, and green onion. Sauté the vegetable mixture for 3-4 minutes, remove the veggies from the skillet, and set aside.
- Add two (2) tablespoons of unsalted butter. When the butter is melted, brown the thinly sliced onions, and continue to stir occasionally until the onions start to brown. Adjust the heat to its lowest setting and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add crumbled cornbread, chopped chicken, seasonings, sautéed vegetables, chopped parsley, and one cup of chicken bone broth or stock.
- Gently combine the mixture, add in half of the croissants and the remaining cup of chicken bone broth or stock, and continue to mix gently.
- Top with the remaining croissants and press them gently into the mixture, drizzle the melted herb butter on top and cook in a preheated oven for an hour. Tip: If the top is browning too quickly, place loose foil on top and continue to bake. For the last five minutes, remove the foil and continue. The top of the dressing should be golden brown.
- Remove dressing from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
- 1 Whole Chicken
- 3/4 cup of onions, chopped
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
- 2 Tablespoons of EVOO
- 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
- Place a rinsed and thawed whole chicken into a large stockpot, add a quarter onion, two bay leaves, one tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, two celery stalks chopped, one large carrot peeled and chopped, and three garlic cloves, chopped.
- Fill the pot with water until it is just over the chicken. Cook on the stovetop for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the stove, and place the chicken into a large platter. Allow the chicken to cool.
- When the chicken to cool enough to handle safely, cut away to cups of chicken, chopped up the chicken. Set aside.
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