Southern Style Chicken Cornbread Dressing

When it comes to the “Holiday’s” in the south this type of “Dressing” makes an appearance in some form or fashion. Many people dress it up and many people dress it right down to the basic. This recipe that I am sharing with you is the very basic version. You can dress it up however you like. I often times add in a few cranberries to the mix for a pop of flavor. Sometimes I add dried fruit such as cranberries, goji berries, or cherries. Sometimes I omit the chicken and just do a side of plain dressing. It really just depends on how you are feeling when you prepare this fantastic side dish.

This particular recipe has been in my family for many years and I have altered it so many ways. I wanted to share the very basic version so you can add your spin on it and make it suit you and your family and make it special. I am so happy to share this with you and I hope you all enjoy this recipe. So let’s get started so you can make this for your family this Holiday Season.

INGREDIENTS: CORNBREAD

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup milk

DRESSING:
1 lb chicken
1 onion – diced
2 stalks celery – diced
2 tbsp sage – to taste
2 eggs
2 to 4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. First we are going to make the cornbread. I like to make this the day before. SO what you are going to do is preheat your oven to 375*.
2. In a bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. mix well. Add in the milk, oil and egg. Mix really well.
3. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add 1 tbsp oil to coat the bottom of the pan. let the pan get really hot. Turn the heat off and carefully add the batter to the pan. level off the batter and place in the pre heated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Depending on the oven the cooking time may vary. Keep an eye on the cornbread. When the top is golden brown and cooked through remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter or stove until you are ready to use it.
4. Now it is the next day… or a few hours…lol… What you are going to do now is add your chicken to a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove and let cool. You can discard the water.
5. Now that the chicken is cool, you can shred the chicken into however big of a chunk you like. Set aside.
6. preheat your oven to 375*.
7. In a large bowl crumble the cornbread into it. Add the onion and celery. If you don’t want the crunch of the celery you can cook them in a bit of oil or butter. I like it this way so I opt out of cooking them.
8. Add a bit of salt and pepper but not to much. You will be tasting it later. Now you can add in a bit of sage. remember not to much. Add the chicken shreds and the some of the chicken broth to make the mixture soupy. I like mine on the more soupy side so it is nice and soft later and not dry.
9. When you get the mixture right where you want it with the broth, go ahead and taste it. You can add more salt, pepper and sage if you find it needs it. You can add in but you can not take out. So taste and adjust.
10. Now that the flavor is just right go ahead and add your eggs. Mix very well.
11. spray a baking dish lightly with oil spray and pour in the dressing mixture. Level off the mixture and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. You want the mixture to be slightly moist. The longer you cook it the drier it gets. So 50 to 55 minutes is perfect. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
    

Serve and Enjoy!