Description:

Dressing

Source:

Karen "Sissy"Wommack

Serves/Makes:lots

Ingredients

• Taking each ingredient one at a time:
• CORNBREAD:
• 2 cups (475 ml) self rising cornmeal (if using plain cornmeal add to the cornmeal, 2-1/2 tsp (12.5 ml) baking powder and 1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of melted fried bacon grease, lard, shortening or oil
• 1-1/4 cups (300 ml) to 1-1/2 cups (350 ml) of milk (you can use buttermilk, if you choose)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar (optional)
• BISCUITS (any good bicuit recipe will do, this is just an easy one, please do not use canned biscuits, but frozen biscuits cooked will do great also):
• 2 cups (475 ml) self rising flour (if using all purpose flour, add, to the flour, 2-1/2 tsp (12.5 ml) baking powder and 1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt.)
• 1-1/2 cups (350 ml) heavy whipping cream
• VEGETABLES:
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• DRESSING:
• 1 pone of cornbread
• 1/2 pone of biscuit
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 to 3 tbsp (45 ml) rubbed sage
• part of the vegetable mixture that has been cooked in turkey or chicken stock
• 4 to 6 hard boiled eggs (chopped or sliced)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

• First, let's cook the CORNBREAD:
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees (225 C.).
• While heating put your pan in he oven, I prefer a 10 inch iron skillet, but if you do not have one then a 8 X 8 inch or a 9 x 9 inch pan will do.
• Take the eggs and slightly beat them, add the sugar, grease, milk then add the cornmeal, stir up until well mixed. If too soupy add a little more cornmeal, if too dry, then add more milk. (Better off to be a little wet than too dry, it should pour easily)
• When the oven has preheated, add to your preheated pan about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of bacon grease/lard,shortening or oil.
• Then as soon as the fat has melted, pour the cornbread mixture into the pan.
• Bake until good and brown on top but not burnt.
• Take out of the oven and dump it immeditately out into a pan or on a plate to cool.
• NOTE: You can use whipping cream instead of milk, and then you do NOT use the grease in the mixture.
• Now let's make the BISCUITS:
• As I said any good biscuit recipe will do or even use frozen biscuits that have been cooked, but please DO NOT USE canned biscuits.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (225 C.).
• Take the the flour and add the whipping cream, mix together, the mixture should be a little sticky.
• Grease a 10 inch iron skillet or a 8 x 8 inch or a 9 x 9 inch pan, with lard or shortening.
• Pour the biscuit mixture into the pan and smooth off the top.
• Bake until lightly to medium brown.
• When done, dump it out into a pan or on a plate to cool.
• Now let's cook the VEGETABLES:
• You will need at least a 6 qt. to a 8 qt. dutch oven or soup pot with a heavy bottom.
• Take the drippings from the baked turkey or the broth where you have boiled a chicken or canned chicken broth. You want about 1 gallon (3.8 ltr) of broth.
• So to your broth, add enough canned chicken broth to make about 1 gallon (3.8 ltr).
• To this add 1 stick of unsalted butter, the celery and the onions.
• Bring to a slow boil and cook until the vegetables are fork tender.
• Take off and cool down.
• NOTE: If you are using your broth from your turkey or chicken you have cooked, and if you have used a lot of butter in cooking them, then you may or may not want to either cut down on the butter in the broth or use none, depending on how rich you want it. We Southerners Like it RICH. ha.,
• Now let's put together the DRESSING:
• In a LARGE dishpan or any LARGE pan, crumble all the cornbread and 1/2 of the biscuit into it and mix it up. Then add the eggs, the sage and all but about a quart of the vegetable mixture. (We are saving the quart of vegetable mixture for Giblet Gravey, look for that recipe also) Mix well.
• Now mix in the hard boiled eggs.
• Add a lot of black pepper and then taste for saltiness. If not salty enough add salt to taste.
• Let the mixture sit awhile, because it gets thicker as it sits and the seasonings will blend in better.
• You may need to add more canned or fresh chicken broth, you want it wet and easy to pour, you are better to have it too soupy as too dry.
• Now let's taste the dressing one more time. Does it need more sage, does it need more salt, pepper? You be the judge.
• If it suits, let's bake it.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C.) to 375 degrees (200 C.).
• Take and grease with shortening or lard, 2 or 3 9 x 13 inch pans or 4 to 6 8 x 8 inch pans (depending on how thick you want your dressing, it does raise up a little more when baking).
• Pour the dressing into the pans and bake until lightly to medium brown. (The doneness of the dressing will depend on how you like it, if you like it moist, then you cook it until lightly brown or if you like it crispy and dryer, then you cook it longer.)
• Because all the ingredients in the dressing are cooked except the eggs, so it does not take alot to cook it, just your preference on browness. NOTE: Just make sure you get the dressing real hot all the way through.
• Some people like to make Turkey and Dressing or Chicken and Dressing in the same pan, for a meal in one dish. If you want to do this, just take the cooked poultry off the bone and add it to the dressing mixture, and mix it in, just before you bake it.

Comments

NOTE: A Pone of Cornbread or Biscuit, is just a pan full of bread, just our southern word for it.

When my Mama died, it was up to me to cook the Thanksgiving Meal. I was scared to death. Sure I had watched Mom do it and even helped her, but never on my own. The first year, the dressing was green from too much sage, so don't worry if your dressing has more sage in it than you like or anything else, just keep trying, it is trail and error.

Don't worry, it is all about being together and enjoying each other.

Enjoy!! Sissy