Chicken/Turkey and Dressing

Bake your chicken in an oven bag and add a couple of stalks of celery, green onions, and season to taste. In addition, add a 1/2 cup of water so that you will have broth for your dressing. If desired, bake your chicken the way it normally does. Sometimes I use an oven bag when I’m not cooking a turkey or a large dinner.

Ingredients for Cornbread:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

Ingredients for Dressing:

• 3 slices white or wheat bread, toasted
• 3 cans chicken broth (or homemade broth)
• 1 cup pan drippings from the chicken
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 6 green onions chopped (include some of the green)
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 egg beaten
• 1 can chicken broth (or homemade)
• 1 cup pan drippings from chicken (include some of the celery and green onions)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup chicken liver and gizzards, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Cornbread:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients
3. Add buttermilk, eggs, and oil
4. Pour in a 9×13″ pan or baking dish
5. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes

Directions for Dressing:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Crumble the cornbread and bread slices into a very large bowl (large enough to mix all ingredients).
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery, green pepper, and green onions until tender.
4. Add the sautéed vegetables to the cornbread mixture and mix well.
5. Add chicken broth, chicken pan drippings, dry seasonings, and eggs, mix well. Add additional chicken broth or water if needed. The dressing should be very moist; mix thoroughly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or so; stir dressing starting at the edges about halfway through baking process.

Giblet Gravy:

1. Over medium heat, combine chicken broth and pan drippings in a medium saucepan
2. Dissolve cornstarch in a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth from the saucepan. Once dissolved, add to corn starch mixture to chicken broth and pan drippings
3. Add chopped chicken liver and gizzard
4. Simmer over low heat until gravy thickens; if necessary, add more corn starch

Twist: Grind or chop some of the baked chicken and gizzard in a blender and add to dressing before cooking. Makes dressing so flavorful.