How to Make Rustic Dressing with Giblet Gravy

This rustic dressing drizzled in giblet gravy is a long-time Thanksgiving staple in my family. You can make it ahead and freeze it to ease some of the stress of holiday cooking, and it’s a great way to utilize every part of your turkey!

The Rustic Dressing is made out of a combination of biscuits and cornbread, and then it is covered in a homemade giblet gravy that is made with the most flavorful ingredients! This comfort food is a favorite for our holiday meal, and I think it will be for you, too!

My Mama is a wonderful cook. Her home is, and always has been, the gathering place of our entire family. Because she’s one of five children, you can imagine the beautiful chaos that ensues when all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins come to town for Thanksgiving dinner. 

I have the most incredible memories of endless hours spent gathered with everyone in my Mama’s kitchen on Thanksgiving, and this dressing has always been a family favorite.

You Can Make The Dressing Ahead of Time

Because Thanksgiving is such a production for us, involving multiple courses and an elaborately decorated tablescape, Mama starts preparing weeks in advance.  Therefore, anything that can be made ahead and frozen is in the works as early as Halloween.

So, there are two versions of this recipe: 
The quick method using store-bought stuffing and cornbread mix, and the more hands-on, made-from-scratch method.

Mama always makes a huge sheet pan of cornbread, and one of biscuit dough.  But, you don’t have to actually make biscuits, it’s more of a biscuit cake…which sounds like a fabulous idea now that I type that out.  Maybe that will be a future recipe! For now, let’s stick to the dressing.

Once the cornbread and biscuit cake is made, she crumbles them both up and freezes them in gallon bags. Then she just pulls them out the week of Thanksgiving and uses them to make this delicious dressing!

Can this recipe be made with chicken?

Absolutely! This is the perfect recipe for homemade turkey gravy for Thanksgiving, but it also goes great for Christmas dinner with chicken or any other family dinner, for that matter! You can roast a whole chicken with this easy recipe, and use the giblets from the chicken. You can also use homemade chicken stock for this recipe as well! 

What are giblets?

Giblets are organs from chicken or turkey and usually consist of the liver, heart, and gizzards. You will find the bag of giblets right inside the cavity of the bird. (This is why you should always check the cavity and remove it before stuffing or roasting!) A lot of people will shy away from the giblets, but don’t let me scare you! They add tons of flavor and make this classic giblet gravy so delicious! 

You can use chicken or turkey giblets for this recipe, either works great. I prefer to use the liver for this recipe, but you can add the other giblets if you would like. 

Ingredients for Rustic Dressing with Giblet Gravy

Biscuit and Cornbread Dressing

• 3 stalks celery diced
• 2 packages of Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing already baked per instructions 
• 1 onion diced – white or yellow onion works great
• 2 boiled eggs diced
• 3 turkey livers chopped
• 1teaspoon salt
• t teaspoon black pepper
• 4-6 tablespoons ground sage – adjust to taste
• 2 eggs whipped for binding
• 12 frozen biscuits baked 

Giblet Gravy

• 5-6 turkey or chicken livers baked and chopped into small pieces – You will use cooked giblets in the gravy
• 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 4 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk or half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions to make Rustic Dressing with Giblet Gravy

Dressing

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Crumble cornbread stuffing and biscuits
3. Combine all ingredients
4. Spread in 9×13 inch lightly greased glass baking dish
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown and the dressing is firm

Giblet Gravy

1. Heat oil in pan over medium/high heat until you can flick water droplets at it and they skip across the pan.
2. Add flour, reduce heat to medium heat, and saute’ until roux is just turning brown (stir continuously to avoid scorching).
3. Add broth, milk, salt, pepper, giblet meat, and eggs.
4. Let it come to a boil while stirring continuously.
5. Reduce heat to low with a gentle boil and stir until thickened.

Pin for Later

How to use up turkey necks

A great way to utilize every part of your Thanksgiving bird is to boil the neck in your broth. When it is cooked, pull the bits of neck meat off the neck bone and add those morsels to your gravy. You won’t get too much meat off the neck, but it is completely worth it to make the most flavorful gravy!

Can you add drippings to this gravy recipe?

Yes! If you want to use turkey drippings from your Thanksgiving turkey, feel free! You can replace some of the broth with pan drippings instead. Using drippings is not necessary, but it is a great way to reduce food waste and will make a very delicious gravy. 

How to store

If you have leftover gravy and dressing, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

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Check Out More Thanksgiving Sides…

I’ve partnered with some wonderful blogger friends to share even more delicious side dishes for the upcoming holiday season. With all of these wonderful recipes, we’ve got your Thanksgiving menu covered!

Rice Pilaf by Essentially Handmade | Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts by Vintage Kitchen Vixen | Herbed Garlic Mashed Potatoes by The Bluebonnet Homestead

Buttery Scalloped Corn by Hearty Sol | Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing by Farmhouse Basic Collection | Bordeaux Mushrooms by Our Amyable Farmhouse

Sweet Potato Stackers by Our Future Homestead | Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce by Our Gabled Home | Homemade Buttery Dinner Rolls by St. Martha’s Lens

Gluten Free Gravy by Life on Leetown | Rustic Dressing with Giblet Gravy by Homegrown Hopes