Chicken & Dressing Casserole

I can remember standing and watching my grand-mama Cora making her cornbread dressing with a little bit of chicken she had boiled.  I watched as she baked her own cornbread recipe from her own stone ground cornmeal granddaddy had taken to have ground.  Using the milk from her cow named Sookey, the eggs from her own laying hens and lard rendered from the pork grown on the farm. I almost forgot a hen that had just that morning been running around in the chicken yard.  Did I do that for this recipe?  Of course not!




Ingredients

White Lily Enriched White Cornbread Mix
*Bake the Southern Cornbread Recipe on back of bag.
Cool, Crumble in large bowl and set aside.

1 large skinless boneless chicken breast or 2 chicken tenders
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
1 Tbs. coconut oil
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
4 cups chicken broth or stock (Homemade is best).
3 large eggs
1/4 cup rich whole milk or heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Poultry Seasoning

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

While your cornbread is baking:
Cook the chicken in 3 cups water & a little celery. Bring up to a boil then turn heat down to medium low
and simmer until fork tender.
Remove and chop into small pieces salt and pepper then add to crumbled cornbread in bowl.
Save the broth for later use.

Add the coconut oil and butter to frying pan melt and warm. Add the celery, onions & carrots, season with salt & pepper.  

Saute over medium low heat until tender.Onions will be translucent.

Add the sauteed vegetables to the bowl of crumbled cornbread, along with the Sage and Poultry Seasoning.
Add broth, a cup at a time stirring in gently with wooden spoon until you get the right consistency.  I used 4 cups.
Taste now and add salt and pepper if needed.
Beat eggs and milk or cream together, fold into cornbread mixture until mixed well.

Pour mixture into pan you baked your cornbread in add oil to pan if needed.
Bake 30-45 minutes until browned to your liking.

Serve warm 
6 - 8 large servings
Add salad or a vegetable

Cost Saver
This menu with very little ingredients will serve many people at an extremely low cost.

Bonus Recipe

Gravy for Everyday Chicken Dressing

1/3 cup oil or enough to just cover the bottom of a 10" pot or pan
(I used some oil that I had fried chicken in recently).
1/4 cup unbleached self rising flour
3-4 cups homemade chicken broth plus 1 chicken bouillon cube melted in the broth
3 boiled eggs chopped finely
Sprinkle of Sage and Poultry Seasoning
1 Tbs. minced onion
1 tsp. chives
Celery salt, table salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil to warm, add flour stirring well and often to prevent lumps over medium heat.  Add some salt, celery salt and black pepper. (didn't measure but approximately 1/2 tsp each). Add sprinkle of Sage, Poultry Seasoning, minced onion and chives. Cook for a minute or two to cook the flour mixture. *Note you don't want to brown this gravy it will be like a white sauce*  Add 3 cups hot broth to rue (flour oil mixture) stirring as you add.  Cook 3 minutes stirring often, as it will thicken and you don't want it to stick to bottom of pan and scorch.  Add other cup of broth, stir and continue cooking on low heat.  Add eggs stir and cover pot. Cook 15-20 minutes. Taste to see if you need more seasoning now. Leave on low stirring every now and then until serving.

Although no giblets are added the homemade seasoned broth will add enough flavoring to make it delicious.

Oh how I wish I'd measured my grand-mama's ingredients as she added little bit of this and a little bit of that.  If you are still blessed enough to have a great cook in your family still with you then take every chance you have to get their recipes. Note the measurements and put the recipes in writing for you and future generations.  You'll be glad you did!

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