Home is Where the Heart Is
With the economy as it is; the cost of air travel as it is; and the cost of gas as it is, I have a feeling many in the country will be staying put this Thanksgiving, even if that means not gathering with extended family. So, this is your opportunity to create your own traditions and teach your kids about your traditions from your childhood. Speaking from experience, we have found that the principle of something old and something new works well.
It's important to pass down family recipes and family stories, especially if your kids won't experience the large extended family holiday gatherings, as mine won't. Recount family lore and talk about long gone relatives from your childhood. Share funny stories and talk about new recipes to try. Let your kids have a hand in planning and preparing for the big holiday meal.
When I think of Thanksgiving I think of cornbread dressing; when I think of cornbread dressing I think of Mama Meg. Mama Meg was my grandma; my mom's mom. She was a read head and full of sass and spunk; and I never knew her to back down from a fight {you can see why I loved her so}.
Now Mama Meg was no gourmand, but she could cook up tasty meals without using a recipe or make up her own. One of her recipes was cornbread dressing that my mom made each Thanksgiving, unless we happen to be spending Thanksgiving with my mom's family.
When I was a young girl and we lived in South Texas and my maternal grandparents were celebrating Thanksgiving with Mama Meg's huge family in rural Oklahoma there would invariably be a phone call from my mom to my grandma about the dressing making. You see this recipe was not written down. So, my mom would call and discuss with Mama Meg the correct amount of cornbread, the number of pieces of dried bread; perhaps the mixture was too dry or not wet enough; and how much sage should be added.
Of course, there would have been much laughing and chit chat about how Uncle Buford was and was Cousin David there yet or how my Great Grandma Trammell had redone the kitchen and it looked so nice and Aunt Peggy had told a funny story and they had all laughed until they cried. Then, mom would think about her childhood and wish she was with her family right that minute; and sometimes we were. But when we weren't, Mama Meg's Dressing consoled us.
What I don't know is if there were really questions or if it was simply a Thanksgiving ritual. We have not always made it "home" for Thanksgiving over the years and the miles. I have since made this dressing many times myself, but I had my mom write it out for me. And yet, I still call my mom and discuss the amount of cornbread to make; white cornmeal v. yellow cornmeal; how many cans of chicken broth; and how much sage should be added. Regardless of it being written down, it's still made "to taste" as you will see.
As a side note, this is dressing, not stuffing. It is not stuffed inside the bird while it bakes; it is baked in a 9 x 13 pan. Done properly, it should be set and slightly crisp on top, but moist inside. Follow these directions and you will get properly done dressing.
This recipe is really very simple, especially the way I am going to give it to you. Then, you won't have 5 scraps of paper to work with when you're making it, as I do.
Cornbread Dressing
4 slices of white bread
4 packets of Morrison Corn-Kits or enough cornmeal to make two large skillets
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of butter, or more if needed {for sautéing celery and onion}
4 to 6 cans of chicken broth {add 4 and see how moist it is – see notes in instructions}
2 to 4 Tablespoons dried sage, or to taste
1 egg
¾ to 1 cup milk {see notes in instructions}
The night before Thanksgiving make cornbread. My mother swears by Morrison Corn-Kits. I can't ever find that brand here in the North Country. So, either my mom sends me the packets or I buy cornmeal and alter the recipe a bit. The point is to have cornbread with very little or no flour in it. For our family of 4, I make for packages or enough to make 2 skillets. Follow directions on cornbread/cornmeal package.
The key to really great cornbread is this {Listen up, you who have addresses North of Oklahoma}: Bake your cornbread in a skillet, cast iron is best. Turn on the oven and stick your skillet in the oven with some vegetable oil; enough to generously coat the skillet. When the oil is hot enough that it pops and forms bubbles when you flick a bit of water from your fingertips, then it's ready. Pour the cornbread batter in the skillet(s) and bake as directed.
When it's ready, cool it a bit and then flip cornbread out of pan. You will have a nice crisp crust on the bottom of the cornbread {and the best cornbread you've ever had}. Let it cool completely over night.
Now, this is important about the cornbread. DO NOT make corn muffins and try to do this. It won't work.
Meanwhile, put 4 slices of white bread in oven and turn oven off. Leave bread there over night.
On Thanksgiving morning, crumble cornbread thoroughly and crush dry bread. Mix crumbled cornbread and white bread and put the 9 x 13 baking dish.
Finely chop onion and celery and sauté in butter until translucent. Mix onion and celery into cornbread mixture.
Pour in chicken broth. Mix thoroughly. Dressing should be soupy at this point {my notes say NOT watery, but really juicy}.
Add 2 Tablespoons of dried, crushed sage. Mix and taste. My mom usually adds 3 to 4 Tablespoons. So, it depends on your taste.
Beat 1 egg and add ¾ to 1 cup of milk {I have instruction with ¾ and instructions with 1 cup. So, take your pick}. Pour egg mixture into dressing and blend.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until browned around edges and set.
This is excellent for leftovers or heaped on to turkey sandwiches the next day. If you use Stovetop Dressing mix, please DO NOT tell me. I may have to invite you over and set you straight. Tomorrow I'll give you my two-layer no-bake pumpkin pie recipe. Uh huh, it's quite good. Over and out...
Anna
