Chicken and Corn Bread Dressing

A Soul-food Holiday Favorite

Chicken and Corn Bread Dressing is a soul food favorite for the holidays. Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without it. I use to watch my mother prepare her famous dressing every Thanksgiving. When I got older, she let me help out by cutting up the onions, peppers and celery.

Chicken and Corn Bread Dressing is an old recipe that has been in my family for many generations. This is also the recipe my grandmother made for her family. And I still use this recipe today. I wouldn’t make my dressing any other way. This dish also reminds me of how the slaves prepared their food--boil then bake. The chicken is boiled then later baked to finish the cooking process.

Boiling the chicken is highly recommended for this recipe because the broth makes the dressing. You can’t make old-fashioned corn bread dressing without it. And please, don’t use broth from a can for this recipe. It’s definitely not the same.

Below is my mother’s Chicken and Corn Bread Dressing recipe. This is an old recipe that is used today in many homes that prepare soul food for the holidays. It’s the best tasting dressing I’ve ever had. Try it for yourself.

To Prepare the Chicken
You need 1 large fryer (whole chicken)
Remove gizzards/livers inside chicken, then wash in clear water. Place in large pot with 2 to 3 quarts water; add salt , pepper, and 1/3 cup of each chopped vegetables--onions, green pepper, and celery to the pot

Cover and cook on high heat until start to boil. Reduce heat and continue boiling about 35 to 45 minutes or until almost done. Remove from pot. Set aside. Keep chicken broth. This is what makes the dressing.

CORN BREAD DRESSING
1 cup corn meal, self-rising
3/4 cup all purpose flour, self-rising
1 cup buttermilk
2 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup of each chopped - celery, green pepper, and onions
1/4 vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1 ½ - 2 tablespoons sage
1 cup + Broth
3 slices white bread, crumbled
3 boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup Margarine
Paprika

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour; stir in milk, eggs, and chopped vegetables. Heat oil in skillet or 9 X13 inch pan until hot. Pour in cornmeal mixture. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from oven; then place in roasting pan.

Break cornbread into bite size pieces. Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and sage. Continue mixing. Add a cup of broth to start, white bread, and chopped eggs. Mix well. Add more broth until dressing is the texture desired. Sit aside.

Tip: For a dryer mixture, use less broth, for a moist mixture, use more broth.

Final Process
Lightly rub top of chicken with margarine then sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 425 degree until done. Next, cover and bake dressing until hot all the way through and top and edges start to brown. Serve hot. Yield: 10 or more servings.

Important Tips to Remember
When using poultry and sage seasoning, use according to your taste. You may want to add more seasonings or less, just be careful not to add too much-- it will overpower the natural flavors. Seasonings make or break the flavor in corn bread dressing.

Make the dressing a day before serving. This gives the seasonings time to spread flavor throughout. Just make sure you cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For more flavor, cut up chicken gizzards/livers in dressing before baking.

Treat your family to old-fashioned Chicken and Corn Bread Dressing.

For more information on adding seasonings to recipes visit our Spice Center.

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