If you live in the south, it ain’t “stuffing” we serve on the holidays, it’s “dressing”. 🙂 I know there are variations on the recipe, but it’s basically the same principle. Go easy on the sage – it can really do a number on the tummy!
Some people use a combination of cornbread, dry bread, or biscuits. At our house, it is strictly cornbread. I have two versions to share – the first is my mother’s and the second is my father-in-law’s. Mom’s uses eggs and celery, while FIL’s uses neither but adds garlic (this is my personal favorite, but shhhh – don’t tell mom!)
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Mom’s Cornbread Dressing
(Makes a 9×13 pan, and can easily be doubled if needed)
4 packages cornbread, mixed according to directions and baked (we prefer Morrison’s Corn Kits – NOT a sweet mix like Jiffy)
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 stick butter
chicken broth (homemade is best, but you can use canned)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons sage (dried or rubbed)
2 eggs
1 can cream of chicken soup (optional)
de-boned chicken (optional)
In a saucepan, melt margarine and add some broth along with the onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, crumble cornbread in a LARGE bowl (or a dishpan works great also). Add sage, salt, and pepper. Add vegetables/butter/broth and stir well. Add more broth as needed (you don’t want it to be too wet, but it shouldn’t be dry either – this is something that you get a feel for after years of making it!).
At this point, you can add a can of cream soup if you’d like. Adjust your seasonings to taste, being mindful that the flavors will blend wonderfully as it sits, so don’t over-season.
Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture (don’t taste it until after it’s fully cooked from this point on).
In a 9×13 pan, layer half of the dressing, then a layer of deboned chicken, then top with the remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover and bake approximately 1 1/2 hours. When it’s done, it should be lightly browned on top. Enjoy!
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Father-in-Law’s Dressing
3 skillets full of cornbread
sage (small container)
green onion, chopped and sautéed
garlic (about a teaspoon, minced)
chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken
butter or margarine – about a stick and a half
cut-up chicken
Mix and put into large pan. Put dabs of butter all along the top – spread it out over the entire pan. Bake 2 hours @ 350 degrees or until it browns on the top.
Ray used no eggs and no celery – he said celery would dry out the dressing.
We eat dressing throughout the year – it’s too good just for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 🙂
Arkansas Soaper 