Aunt Dots Cornbread Dressing Food

AUNT DOT'S CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Boil chicken thighs until tender and shred into pieces when cool enough to handle.
• Melt butter and saute chopped onions and chopped celery until softened. Crumble corn bread (sometimes I use cornbread muffins from the bakery section of my local supermarket) and seasoned bread crumbs.
• Add the onions, celery, milk, soup, salt, pepper, and seasonings.
• Add chicken and chicken broth one cup at a time or until mixture has a smooth consistency.
• Beat eggs slightly and add to mixture.
• I usually do a taste test at this point and add more seasonings if needed. Bake in a large greased pan at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

THE BEST CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• For the cornbread: preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl until combined.
• Put the butter in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly, then whisk in the buttermilk, whole milk and eggs until smooth.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined with no lumps remaining. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cornbread can be made one day in advance. After cooling completely, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
• Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Once the cornbread is completely cool, run a small offset spatula around the edges of the pan, then invert it onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until the cornbread cubes are crisp at the edges and almost completely dried out, about 40 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. (This step can be done up to 24 hours in advance. Store the cooled cornbread cubes in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag until ready to use.)
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously with butter.
• For the dressing: melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, thyme and poultry seasoning and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the cornbread cubes, chicken broth and eggs to the bowl and toss gently until the vegetables are evenly dispersed and the bread is very moist (do not overwork or the cornbread will fall apart). Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Uncover, then return to the oven and bake until lightly browned and crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes more. Let sit for 10 minutes, then top with chopped parsley and serve.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Spread the Skillet Cornbread and French bread cubes out on 2 baking sheets and let them dry for about 24 hours until totally crisp. Once dry, transfer the cubes to a large mixing bowl and toss to mix them up a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Warm up a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. When it's melted, add the celery, carrots and onions, and cook for a few minutes until the onions are almost translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the rosemary, thyme, sage and turmeric. Gradually ladle the broth mixture into the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture, tasting as you go and adding more seasoning and herbs if needed. Add salt carefully. You don't want to over salt your stuffing. If the mixture is not quite moist enough, add a bit more chicken broth and stir. Stir in the fresh parsley.
• Place the dressing in a rectangular baking dish and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the shortening in a cast-iron skillet. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk and egg until fully combined. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until well combined. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup melted shortening and add to the batter, stirring constantly. Pour into the hot skillet, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

BETTER THAN AUNT PATTI'S CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook cornbread according to package directions. Cook for the minimum time and don't let cornbread brown as much as you normally would. Cut it up into pieces and after cool enough to handle then crumble it up leaving no large chunks and transfer to a very large mixing bowl. (I use the bowl from my Kitchen Aid).
• In a microwaveable bowl (I use my four cup Pyrex measuring cup) put in your onion and celery and 1 cup of water. Microwave for 5-8 minutes until celery and onion are soft depending on how finely you sliced them. (keep the vegetable broth! it adds a of flavor!) Drop in the butter and let melt.
• Combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix well until cornbread has absorbed most of the liquids. It will be a little soupy but don't worry about it. Pour into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 425 for 30 minutes.
• The center might still be a little wiggly but that is ok. It will set up nicely as it cools.
• I cook in glass Pyrex cookware so if you are using a dark metal 9x13 casserole pan the cooking time might need to be less. I really don't know. Sorry.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat a large skillet over medium and pour in the oil. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, keeping any fat in the skillet. Add a few additional tablespoons oil if needed to evenly coat the bottom.
• Add the onion and celery to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds and sage, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the cornbread pieces and toss to combine. Pour in the stock and buttermilk, and stir until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
• Transfer the cornbread mixture to your prepared dish and spread evenly. Drizzle the melted butter over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through, 30 to 35 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees, remove the foil and bake until the surface is golden brown in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm.