For the past few years, my mom and I have been making Chicken and Cornbread Dressing. My mother-in-law had always made it but one year, somehow, my mom and I got the task. My mother-in-law made the BEST dressing so it made us very nervous to have the responsibility of making it for everyone on Thanksgiving Day. If we messed it up, it would "ruin" the Thanksgiving meal for everyone...geesh....so much pressure!
We were not EVEN prepared for how much time it would take to make it and when we were done we joked that "maybe we should mess it up so we wouldn't have to do it again"! Haha! But, much to our surprise it turned out good and then we became the "designated" Chicken and Cornbread Dressing makers in our family. My kids started pitching in and helping so it became a family tradition.
This year was the first time my Mom, because of her health, was not able to participate...that was a sad turning point but I am glad to have the memories. We spent our Thanksgiving at our ranch in San Antonio and me and my daughter, Holly, made the dressing. My son is probably the one who loves to help the most and he had to miss it because we make it the night before. Really missed him...he is a great cook! It's funny how something so insignificant such as making a recipe can turn into something so special. This year, my stepdaughter and her Mom, used the recipe and made it for their Thanksgiving meal too!
I don't think I took as many pictures as I normally would, but I will share all that I have so that you will have a step by step guide for how to make this Chicken and Cornbread Dressing with Chicken Gravy. I know a lot of people make giblet gravy and I have made it before but no one likes it in my family so instead I set aside some chicken and made gravy. This year I cheated and used Pioneer Chicken Gravy packets...gasp! Ha! But I added some green onions and some cooked chicken and it was surprisingly yummy! Actually, I think I might just use it again next year!
Our family has been blessed so richly by a God who gives us more than we could ever ask or think. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you all had a very blessed Thanksgiving as well! Thank so much for stopping by and letting me share what I enjoy doing...talking and cooking!
CHICKEN AND CORNBREAD DRESSING
8 packages of Martha White Yellow Cornbread Mix, cooked and set aside
5 pounds boneless chicken pieces, boiled in salted, peppered water and set aside (reserve the water to use in the dressing)
4 bunches green onions, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cluster of celery, chopped
6 boiled eggs, chopped
4 cans Campbells cream of chicken soup
4 cans Campbells chicken broth
3-4 cups of chicken broth that was made from boiling the chicken
10 raw eggs
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Combine green onions, onion, and celery in a microwave safe bowl with water almost covering the veggies.
Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on high until they are soft. Set aside.
In a very large bowl crumble the cornbread.
Add the chopped boiled eggs.
Add the cooked veggies.
Pour in the cream of chicken soup
Pour in the Campbell's chicken broth.
Stir well.
Add the eggs and stir well.
Sprinkle the poultry seasoning over the top and stir well.
Add the water from the veggies.
Now this is where I am going to have to tell you approximately how much of the chicken broth that was made from the boiled chicken to use. I would say you would use 3-4 cups. Add it one cup at a time.
You want the consistency to be very moist. The cornbread will continue to absorb the liquid overnight and the more liquid you add the more moist your dressing will be when it is cooked.
Add salt and pepper. I taste to check for the salt level but only a small one because of the raw eggs. You could just skip the tasting and let everyone salt it themselves. Just add pepper.
Cover and refrigerate in the bowl until the next morning.
OR
Assemble, bake and serve.
ASSEMBLY:
Pour or spoon half of the cornbread mixture into a roaster. Mine is approximately 10 X 14-1/2
Shred the chicken and put it on top of the dressing.
Pour or spoon the rest of the dressing on top of the chicken.
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
**Because my kids love dressing so much, I usually set aside some dressing and chicken and make a small foil 8 X 8 pan (the picture is at the top of this page) and put it in the freezer for later. When I am ready to cook it, I take it out of the freezer and thaw for a few hours and then pop it in the oven until it is done. The time will depend on how thawed it is but because it is not as thick, it does not take as long as the larger roaster pan. Remember, the chicken is cooked so you are just cooking the dressing part.
If the edges begin to brown too much, tear off 4 narrow strips of aluminum foil and cover edges or tear off one long piece and cut out the middle so that it covers the edges but leaves the middle uncovered.
ENJOY!
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