Grandma’s Dressing Recipe

Making this dressing recipe is a family tradition.   Grandma’s Old Fashioned Dressing is a staple on our Thanksgiving table and has been for generations.

I like my dressing to be firm, but moist and have a nice flavor profile.  This perfectly describes grandma’s dressing or stuffing recipe.

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Dressing Recipe

Simple ingredients mix together to create enjoyable flavors in my grandma’s old fashioned dressing recipe.

This recipe stands out above other dressing recipes in flavor and consistency because of an extra step that my grandma added. A secret to the success in this recipe is putting the celery and onion in a food processor to ensure finely chopped ingredients.

A delicious dressing is a holiday tradition for many families. Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn’t be complete without turkey, Farmhouse Mashed Potatoes, Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole, Applesauce Jello, and Scalloped Corn Casserole.

My husband’s family add these favorite recipes to their holiday table, Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing, Sweet Potato Souffle, Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes and a Big Batch of Pumpkin Pies.

One Of Our Farmhouse Favorites

My late grandma was a really good cook, probably because she had so much practice making big meals for groups of workers on our family’s farm.  In the summer when it was time to bale hay and straw I know they would round up as many able high school boys as they could find.  Part of the reward for hard work was a great homemade meal. 

I’ve heard many stories about the legendary food that she made. The meal was always topped off with a dessert-like Marshmallow Salad, Cherry Coke Jello Salad or 7 Up Salad.

This dressing recipe was one of her specialties, so it’s guaranteed to be great!

Here’s a pic of the recipe in my mom’s handwriting. I’ve added some details so that this recipe is easier to prepare.  My mom continues to make this dressing recipe, so I decided to learn the tradition.

I understand that a lot of digital recipes are used now, but there’s just something special about a handwritten recipe.  Might a nice cookbook like these make a good holiday gift this year?

I may not make big meals on a regular basis, but I certainly want to preserve the tried and true recipes that have been served around farmhouses in our family for generations.  This is one of those excellent traditions that I’m glad to practice and record here in hopes that many others may enjoy it too!

How to Make Farmhouse Dressing

1. Cut bread cubes equal to 4 cups and leave on a baking sheet overnight or all night to dry.  Loosley cover with a dish towel if desired.  Do NOT cover tightly with plastic wrap or cubes will not be allowed to dry.
2. A secret to the success of this recipe is using a food processor to make sure the celery and onion are made very smooth.
3. Then mix all ingredients together and bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes.  The dressing should be lightly brown around the edges and the center should be starting to firm up.  Remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm.  Dish will continue to cook and the center should set up a bit more.

Tips for Making Dressing

• Put celery and onion in food processor to make a smoother, more consistent texture for the dressing – I have a mini Cuisinart that works great
• 4 to 6 slices of bread makes 4 cups of bread cubes depending on the thickness of each slice
• Cutting the bread into smaller cubes will allow more flavors to blend in every bite
• I prefer the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing to mix in with the dried bread. The pieces rather than cubes of stuffing make a smoother and more consistent finished dish. I also enjoy how the pieces are already seasoned with herbs.
• If the dressing is being baked well ahead of the meal and will need to hold covered in foil be sure to add a little extra chicken broth so that it doesn’t dry out
• This recipe creates a fairly thin layer of dressing in the pan. Doubling the recipe in the same pan is not recommended as it will greatly affecting baking time.
• Eggs add a special richness to this dressing recipe and help all of the other ingredients to stick together.

Ingredients Needed to Make Dressing

• Dried bread cubes or day old bread
• Herb seasoned stuffing
• Chicken broth
• Onion
• Celery
• Eggs
• Butter

How to Make Grandma’s Dressing Recipe

Use day old bread or fresh bread, cut up enough bread to make 4 cups of cubes.

A mini food processor is the best way to finely chop and blend the celery and onion.

This will help even out these flavors into an enjoyable undertone instead of creating random chunks with bigger bursts of flavor.

Measure out ingredients and pour into a mixing bowl. Stir well and pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Be sure to preheat the oven to 350°F. Do not cover the pan and set in the oven.

Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the center is beginning to set.

More Delicious Holiday Recipes

Here are a few other of the best side dishes from our family Jiffy Corn Pudding, Crock Pot Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, and Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes.  We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

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Printable Grandma’s Farmhouse Dressing Recipe