Christmas dinner growing up always meant Mama’s cornbread dressing. It was perfectly moist – not too dry, not too watery. Because I loathe watery cornbread dressing, don’t you? Mama’s dressing had big chunks of chicken from a hen she cooked herself. The homemade stock was added to just-right yellow cornbread and stale white bread crumbs. The amount of celery she added was never overpowering, and there were onions galore. The piece de resistance was a touch of sage, which my Granny taught us to use.

A year or so after Mama died, I tried to replicate her dressing. I looked online and found just the right recipe. Yep, I’m a 58 year old, process-driven rule follower, and I needed a recipe to guide me. No matter how many times I watched and helped Mama chop, mix and cook, she never measured. I wanted my dressing to be heavenly, just like hers. I searched high and low and found a traditional cornbread dressing recipe from Southern Living, complete with sage!

I needed to double the mixture so we would have enough for everyone. No problem for this accountant, right? Why no, not at all! I multiplied everything by two…except the broth. I forgot to double the broth. {Sigh}

It was dry.

Dry-As-A-Bone dry, let me tell you!

A choking hazard.

But it had good flavor.

How do I know? I ate some. Choked it down. Because, ya know, it’s the principle of the thing!

How thankful I am that we serve a God who doubles, triples and quadruples His grace and mercy to us each and every day!

For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16 (ESV)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

And how thankful I am for His son Jesus, the true bread of life!

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NLT)

Through Him, in Him and with Him, we will never hunger or thirst again – no matter how dry the cornbread dressing!

Click for a printable Cornbread Dressing recipe card. And don’t forget to double ALL ingredients if you are making a double batch!

Merry Christmas, and grace be with you,