Holiday Dutch oven cornbread dressing
Dutch oven style dressing is a classic holiday recipe (in my home). I always bake my cornbread ahead of time, at least one day in advance, then prepare the rest of my dressing in my Dutch oven the following day. You can totally make the dressing in a casserole dish, or any other pan. I cook my cornbread dressing in a Dutch oven on the burner of my wood stove (to free up the oven space).
Ingredients:
1 pan of baked southern-style yellow cornbread
4 pieces of dried or toasted bread cubed into squares
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of celery soup, or cream of mushroom
8 tablespoons of butter, plus extra butter to grease your pan
1 large onion, diced
4 chives, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, finely diced (or use 2 teaspoons of dried celery flakes)
1-½ teaspoons of dried sage
1 teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of oregano
½ teaspoon of seasoning salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups of water
3 eggs whisked
Optional ingredients:
Cooked boneless chicken, shredded, or sliced
Cooked giblets
Cooked boneless turkey, shredded, or sliced
Cooked sausage
Boiled eggs
Cranberries
Instructions:
So, first you'll need to make your cornbread the day beforehand.
Cut four pieces of bread into cubes, transfer to a cooking tray and toast them inside the oven.
Now, dice your onion, celery, and chives. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, or casserole pan, add butter to grease the bottom and sides of your pan.
In a large bowl, crumb the baked cornbread with your hands, add the pieces of toasted bread cubes; stir.
Next, add all the spices, the chicken bouillon, the raw whisked eggs, the cream of chicken soup, the cream of celery, or the cream of mushroom soup, and stir in the diced onions, diced celery, and chopped chives. Add the water and combine well. At this point, you can add any additional add-ins such as cooked chicken, cooked turkey, or cooked giblets, etc..
Transfer your dressing mixture into your prepared Dutch oven, or pan.
Now, slice one stick (8 tablespoons) of butter and place the butter over the top of your dressing.
Bake at 350 degrees F for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Happy Holidays!