Recipe Talk

Helpdesk email from Patsy:

A friend made some dressing a couple years ago at which time she has passed away and I am trying to find this recipe to make for Thanksgiving can u help me here are some of the stuff that goes in it sage, green onions chicken condense soup celery cornbread thats all I can remember if you could help me please

This is about 5 months short of when you needed this recipe.
This is my mother's recipe, she is 75 years old, and you know I know you have tasted the delicious recipe just like my mothers, the ole` timers never measured anything. But I know how she prepared it, and if you have some time, I can tell you how she made this almost meal by itself.

She always made what she called a cake of cornbread and let it be a day or two old. And this cornbread is made with Three Rivers Corn meal, Crisco shortening, mayo and buttermilk.

Cornbread, made in a large cast iron skillet.
Pre heat oven to 375degrees

Place skillet on stove-eye, and turn heat to approximately med-high, and place a heaping tbsp of Crisco shortening in pan.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, add 2 cups (there about) of the cornmeal
Stir in some buttermilk, start with 3/4 cup, but not so much to make it thin, it needs to be somewhat thick, but able to pour batter.
Add 1 heaping tbsp. mayonnaise, and stir this well. The Crisco that's melted, needs to be added to this mixture, stir together, then pour into the skillet, and bake until golden brown.
Store this corn bread for at least a day.(If this is for a large family, cook 2 cakes of cornbread)

Corn bread dressing:
Celery
Onions, sweet yellow or white
Sage
Poultry seasoning
Chicken
White loaf bread, or bread crumbs, either way let it set out to dry, naturally

Cook chicken, in a large pot with water and 1 can chicken broth, (chicken should be just under water) and a small amount of salt, let cool, and de-bone the whole chicken. Save the broth.

In a large bowl, break up corn bread, until crumbly, tearing the bread up in small pieces. If you have a food processor, this will work well, if not it will be fine.
Chop Celery about 3 large stalks, 1/2 cup onion, and chop fine. Add to cornbread, add de-boned chicken, and add 2 tsp sage, 1 tbsp. poultry seasoning. (If using 2 cakes of corn bread, use 4 stalk celery, and onion to 1 cup, and sage a total of 1 tbsp), and begin mixing ingredients with your hand, tossing until well incorporated; add saved broth from chicken, this mixture needs to be mixed and set aside for 15-20 mins, just to make sure there is enough broth mixed in, the breads can absorb the liquid and make it turn out dry. So if you need to add more it won't hurt. You can stuff the turkey with this, and add the remainder to a glass baking dish. Bake this on 350degrees for about 30 mins, or until golden brown. I hope you find your way back to this site for this recipe, it may sound like a lot of work, but it's worth it. Hope you enjoy! IHB