Grandmama’s Southern Cornbread Dressing

November 2, 2017

A family recipe Rebecah Boynton inherited from her Grandmama.

Ingredients

2 roundscornbread (Rebecah uses White Lily Cornmeal Mix and the recipe on the back of the sack)

1 canbiscuits (or 1/2 loaf white bread slices, but Grandmama loved Grands.)

¼ – ½ cupbacon fat

½ stickbutter

3large white or Vidalia onions, chopped

8 ribscelery, finely chopped (include leafy tops)

2 tablespoonschopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoonchopped fresh sage (optional)

2 bundlesfresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (curly works, too)

1-2 quartschicken or turkey stock (Rebecah’s mother always boiled a chicken a few days prior to Thanksgiving to make dressing. Good tip!)

4eggs

Preparation

1. The day before Thanksgiving, cook cornbread in cast-iron skillets. Once cooled and dried out a bit, chop or crumble the rounds into large bowl. Toss with hands throughout the day or lay on a baking sheet. Bake biscuits, separate their layers, and let dry out on baking sheet.

2. The day-of, return cornbread to large bowl. Crumble in dried biscuits.

3. Add bacon fat and butter to large pan or pot. Add onion, celery, and a good pinch of salt. (You may have to cook your vegetables in series). Sauté until tender. Add fresh herbs. Sauté a couple minutes.

4. Add vegetables to bowl of crumbled bread and combine with hands. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. Add stock to create a batter consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add eggs, combine and pour into greased casserole dishes or hot cast-iron skillets containing a bit of bacon fat.

6. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350F until center is done, then uncover and cook another 30 minutes or until browned. Serves a buncha folks! (Like 15.)