Now let’s start by gathering your ingredients for the cornbread. You’ll need the following items:

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 stick softened butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 4 eggs

This is a classic Southern cornbread recipe, and it’s very easy to make.

While the oven is pre-heating to 350˚F, combine the cornmeal and flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Then, mix your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into a prepared 13x9x2 casserole dish and bake until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Let it cool before crumbling the cornbread into a bowl and setting it aside to be used later in the dressing.

If you prefer, you can use your own favorite cornbread recipe, but it’s important that you not use a sweetened cornbread, as that will drastically change the flavor profile of this dressing.

Once your cornbread is ready, gather the rest of the ingredients for the dressing:

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• 2 sticks butter
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 4-5 stalks chopped celery
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 8 green onions, chopped, using both the white and green parts
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3-4 cups chicken stock (you’ll add a bit at a time)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

To get started on the dressing, brown the sausage for 5 minutes over medium heat. Then, remove the sausage from the pan, leaving some of the drippings behind.

Add the butter to the pan with the drippings, letting it melt, before adding the chicken bouillon, celery, and sweet onion, cooking until the celery and onion are translucent—this should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the green onions, garlic, and parsley, cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Now pour the sausage, the veggie mixture, and some of the chicken stock over the cooled cornbread, gently folding so as not to break up the cornbread and sausage further. Continue adding chicken stock until it’s your desired moistness—keep in mind that as it bakes, it will dry out some, so make it a little wetter than you might think. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Then, pull some of the mixture out to combine with the beaten eggs before mixing it all back together. Adding the eggs last ensures you can safely taste the dressing to ensure your seasonings are correct.

Now pour the dressing into a greased 13x9x2 baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dressing is cooked through. If you’re worried about over-browning, add tinfoil towards the end.

A homemade Southern cornbread dressing with sausage may be a labor of love, but you’ll surely have a table full of thankful guests once they get a scoop of this Southern favorite next to their turkey and taters.

Will you be making a homemade dressing this Thanksgiving? Will you be making this one? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Make Paula’s Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe with Sausage appeared first on Paula Deen.

Now, if you’re all about tradition, you can’t go wrong with a good ol’ Simple Roast Turkey recipe. It’s golden, juicy, and just waiting for some cornbread dressing and gravy. But if you’re looking to shake things up this year, how about trying a non-traditional turkey recipe, like Paula’s Rum-Glazed Turkey or even a Roasted Turkey with a Maple-Cranberry Glaze? They both feature a rich, sweet finish that’ll have folks going back for seconds… and thirds.

Feeling adventurous? If you’ve never had Deep-Fried Turkey, you just don’t know what you’re missing! It’s crispy, flavorful, and cooks up faster than you can say “bless your heart.” Just be sure to read these helpful tips before diving into deep-frying!

Lastly, if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd, a Stuffed Turkey Breast is just the ticket—easy to serve, mighty impressive, and you won’t be drowning in turkey sandwiches for weeks.

No matter which way you carve it, there’s a Thanksgiving turkey recipe for every table and every taste. We’ve got plenty more options to try—be sure to check ‘em all out below. So warm up that oven (or fryer) and let’s give thanks the most delicious way we know how!

What’s your family’s favorite turkey tradition? Let us know in the comments!

The post Paula’s 9 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

From appetizers to desserts and everything in-between, these easy Thanksgiving recipes will taste great—and make you look great while they’re at it. We promise—no one will know that you just threw these together before you walked out the door.

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving—staying home and relaxing or getting together with family? We’d love to hear your plans. Let us know in the comments below, won’t you? How ever you choose to spend it, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!

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First of all, we believe that a little ambiance can go a long way. Instead of decorating your whole dining table, try dressing up just a little corner. Or if you have a smaller table somewhere, convert it to a makeshift mini dining table! Then, all you need is one pretty centerpiece and a couple of taper candles for a beautiful table. We also like to pull out our fancy cloth napkins to add a little extra elegance to the table setting.

Now when it comes to Thanksgiving menus, it’s easy to go overboard, but we recommend narrowing it down to the must-haves! You don’t need 15 casseroles—we promise!

While you can always roast a small whole turkey, consider instead serving turkey breasts, shanks, or even a turkey pot pie! That way you can cook only what you’ll eat, so you don’t have to experience turkey-induced drowsiness for the next 2 weeks. Then, when it comes to sides, we recommend a starch or two, like dressing and a potato dish; a vegetable casserole of your choosing; cranberry sauce; gravy; and a dessert. Now you’ve rounded all the Turkey Day food bases!

Of course, you probably don’t need to make 5 pounds of potatoes or enough casserole for 10 people, so before you go, be sure to read this helpful blog with tips for adapting recipes for two people!

Will you be celebrating with a crowd or just one companion? We’d love to hear! Let us know in the comments below. Happy Turkey Day! Gobble, gobble!

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First, be sure to buy proper storing containers and zip top baggies. These will be helpful for your own storing purposes and also for packing up leftovers for your guests to take home.

Freeze, freeze, and freeze! Freezing food is a perfect way to preserve your holiday leftovers. And, you’ll be so happy on a busy day down the road when you remember you have a ready-to-go meal in the freezer. Use these tips for keeping your frozen foods safe and fresh:

1. Be sure to freeze in an airtight container or wrapping to prevent freezer burn. Zip-top freezer bags are the best, but be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing.
2. Cool food completely before freezing. Begin the cooling processes on the counter, and then finish it in the refrigerator before freezing. Do not leave food at room temp longer than 2 hours.
3. Freeze in small portions for quick defrost.
4. Freeze within 3 days of cooking.
5. Don’t keep frozen meats or gravy longer than 4 months.
6. Re-heat frozen pie in a 350-degree oven while still frozen for about 20-25 minutes.
7. Defrost food in the refrigerator, microwave or a cold-water bath (in a sealed zip-top bag). If using cold water bath, change water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.

Make soups and stocks. Leftover turkey carcasses and vegetables make wonderful homemade stocks, which freeze well for a rainy day. Try one of these delicious soups to use up your leftover ham or turkey:
Turkey Minestrone
Yellow Squash and Ham Soup
Senate Bean Soup
Butter Bean Soup
Sweet Potato Date Soup

Make breakfast or lunch for all of your house guests. Everyone knows the leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is almost better than the meal itself! Fill your friends and family up with one of these next-day recipes:
Turkey Hash
Turkey Cranberry Monte Cristo
Turkey Pot Pie
Gobbler Cobbler Pie
Smashed Potato Pancakes
Ham Salad
Hungry Brothers Biscuits
Potato Casserole

Donate! And lastly, remember those less fortunate in your community. Donate leftover canned food and non-perishable items to a food pantry in your area. Or, make up a plate of food and deliver it to an elderly person in your neighborhood.

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During the cool fall and even colder winter months there’s absolutely nothing better than sitting down to a piping hot, ooey, gooey, helping of a cheesy, creamy casserole. They’re great time- and money-savers too, as you can save large portions for later and simply reheat them.

Our test kitchen knows that you love casseroles too, so we’ve collected Paula’s favorite time-tested casserole recipes to come to your rescue. Go ahead, pop one of these southern casserole recipes in the oven for dinner tonight!

The post 24 Ultimate Casserole Recipe Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.

There truly are many kinds of different stuffing, but I’m very dedicated to the one I’ve been making for over 40 years. If there’s any variation at all, it’s that I don’t actually stuff the bird like I remember my grandmother doing. The only time I’ll cook mine in a bird is if I’m cooking a hen. She’s a tough ol’ bird, y’all, so you cook it totally different than you would a turkey or a chicken. You boil the heck out of it, stuff it and bake it in the oven.

But the old-timey stuffing I make does not play second fiddle to anything—not even the turkey. In fact, she’s the best rival around. You sauté some fresh-cut onions, celery and peppers in a stick of butter, toss that with the breads and soak it with stock and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I do add some seasoning, like pepper and dried sage, but I’m careful not to overpower the dish. Just make sure you don’t underestimate the size of your mixing bowl because stuffing can really grow on you. And if you remember one thing about my cornbread stuffing, let it be that you cannot make it from a sweet cornbread. Look at the box. If sugar is an ingredient, you have the wrong stuff. Use that, and it’ll ruin the dressing.

Y’all, I don’t eat this way every day, but I do give myself permission to eat my favorite foods on the holidays. Part of my obsession is the wonderful flavors; the other part is the memories that celebration foods trigger—like the year after my daddy died, I remember my mother cookin’ the best stuffing of her life. I ate and ate and ate until I was sick. Then when momma passed away, I vowed to make a meal she would be proud of. I spent most of the afternoon on the phone with my Aunt Peggy trying to make sure I was doing every little thing right. That went on for a while until my Uncle George finally lost patience and hollered, “If you don’t get off that damn phone, I’m not ever gonna get my meal!”

But the point isn’t just that my family’s cornbread stuffing is arguably the best around. It’s about that one special dish that defines the holidays for you and your family—the recipe that warms our heart, fills our belly and ultimately outlasts each and every one of us.

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Dressing:
Cornbread, recipe follows
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve Saltine crackers8 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage, optional
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, optional
5 eggs, beaten

Cornbread:
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
½ cup self-rising flour
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dressing Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over the cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Cornbread Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

The post Born and Bred with Cornbread appeared first on Paula Deen.

Over-complicated dishes are also overrated. Now, really, doesn’t an easy Thanksgiving dinner sound like a refreshing change of pace? With Paula’s timeless and easy Thanksgiving dishes, you’ll achieve the same wonderful turkey-and-stuffing-induced food coma with a fraction of the work. We’re talking roasted turkey, squash casserole, cornbread dressing, and pumpkin pie—all the fixin’s!

Plus, every host & hostess knows that your guests will always pepper you with questions on what they can bring. This list is a great place to start, as they’re all easy asks of your guests. These easy Thanksgiving dinner recipes are time-tested, so they’re sure to turn out, even if it’s a beginner cook or baker who will be bringing it.

Go ahead, cut yourself some slack, and make life a little easier with these easy Thanksgiving recipes. Do you have an easy Thanksgiving dishes you like to make? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

The post Easy Thanksgiving Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

And while the time and effort savings are great and the tastes are fantastic, do you know what else we love? That while making these easy Thanksgiving dessert recipes, we can also make some new traditions! Consider getting the younger generations in the kitchen a day or two before the big event to help put these together. We have recipes that are suitable for a variety of ages, so let’s start their passion for creating culinary masterpieces early with these easy Thanksgiving desserts.

While pies tend to get all the love at Thanksgiving, and, boy, does Paula have some delicious and easy Thanksgiving pie recipes, she also has some great alternative easy Thanksgiving recipes desserts. The flavors of these Thanksgiving desserts are absolutely wonderful. Of course, pumpkin and pecan are traditional staples, but we also can’t get enough of other fall flavors, like apple, sweet potato, toffee, cranberry, and rum!

What are your go-to Thanksgiving desserts? We’d love to hear—leave us a comment below. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

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