Deck them Halls, Ya'll!

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

My Christmas gift to you is my Mom's Cornbread Dressing and Giblet Gravy recipe. This is a TRUE southern tradition and bar none, my Mom's recipe is the best! Plus - if I put it out here - will save me the trouble when Mary asks me for it after lunch tomorrow...

Dressing:
1 cup dry white rice (precook it)
5 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 large yellow onion, chopped include a little green onion if you have it
1 cornbread (see recipe below)
6 pieces dry toast
4 eggs (boil and grate)
1 whole chicken
Cream of chicken Soup

Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil chicken - add salt and pepper - to make a broth.

We use a huge pot to mix all this in. You will use your hands to mix it. Every year - I try to avoid this part but it just don't work unless you're up to your elbows in dressing...

Crumble cornbread and toast.
Add all other ingredients and mix well.
Add some meat from chicken.
Add broth and 1/4 can cream of chicken soup to proper consistency. Proper consistency is quite juicy. And this is the trick. The moisture will cook off so as to not have dry dressing, you have to put it in the oven almost sloppy. Taste before you bake to make sure you have enough Salt and Pepper.
Melt butter in pan. Add dressing.
Bake just until hot throughout. (Actually, we do ours till it is a little crusty around the edge.)


Giblet Gravy:
1/2 Stick of butter
1 1/2 Tbs. flour
3 cups broth
gizzards, sliced
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
3/4 can cream of chicken soup

Stir flour into melted butter;
Add liquids slowly
add the gizzards* and eggs

* sometimes - we just use chicken meat instead of gizzards. Will depend on your preference. Just make sure to chop chicken meat very fine so it doesn't get stringy.


Cornbread:
3 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 heaping tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
Milk
Combine dry ingredients
Add milk, oil, and egg.
Bake @ 425 until done

Serve with cajun-spice injected deep-fried turkey, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings...

And to all a Good Night...