Whenever I think about Thanksgiving the one dish that epitomizes the South is cornbread stuffing (or dressing as we called it). I never really knew that any other kind of stuffing existed….except that stuff in the box that no one I knew had ever purchased.
We never put the stuffing in the actual turkey….not sure why though I was always glad because it honestly grosses me out a bit. Oh and dressing isn’t just for Thanksgiving….we also had it for Christmas and occasionally as an everyday treat with chicken or ham chopped up in it as a main dish.
Before you make stuffing….you have to make cornbread. Now this is confession time. I use “cornbread mix” that I bring back from Alabama in my suitcase.
Since you can pretty much only find this in the Southern US & I’m sure most of you would NOT be willing to drag 5 lbs of cornmeal back in your suitcase….Pioneer Woman to the rescue. She published a recipe here. You can also use your favorite recipe but make sure it has NO SUGAR! Stuffing is supposed to be savory not sweet.
Also….the key to cooking cornbread is cooking it in a cast iron skillet. Whatever oil the recipe calls for, pour it in the skillet and then put the skillet in the oven during preheat. When the oven is heated, carefully take out the pan, pour the oil into the mix & quickly stir it. Then pour the mix back in the pan and into the oven it goes. This insures a brown & crispy crust. Yum!
This is what it should look like when you pour it in the skillet… Bubbles!
Here’s what it looks like after baking. Yummy!
Now on to the Stuffing:
Cornbread Stuffing:
2 X 9″ skillets of cornbread, cooled & crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 stalks celery, chopped fine
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
2 eggs
1 Litre (or quart) of Chicken Broth
2-3 Tbsp sage (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a frying pan. Cook onions and celery until soft and starting to brown.
Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Add cooked onions & celery. Add condensed soup and eggs. Stir. Add enough chicken broth to moisten it to a mud like consistency (I know, I know….I’m trying to be descriptive but it totally depends on how dry your cornbread is). Add seasonings to taste.
Pour into a buttered 9X13 baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until middle is set and top is starting to brown. Serve with turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce. Yum!
My stuffing got pushed to the last minute on Saturday so it was still in the oven when all the photos were taken. Not ONE photo. Doh!
What recipe really stands out when you remember holidays from your childhood? Do you cook it for you and your family today?
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I will have to try this sometime. I love dressing…it's the best part of a turkey dinner IMHO. I'm intrigued to see if I will like this kind too. Thanks for sharing:)