This is Paul Prudhomme's recipe for cornbread dressing that he uses in his Turducken recipe. I like to bake it as a side dish instead of stuffing for a turkey. If I'm short on time or if I do not have any chicken stock in the freezer I just use canned chicken broth. I also eliminated the giblets in the ingredients listing. I you like giblets add 1 1/2 pounds that have been boiled for an hour and then ground. I also reduced the cayenne pepper from 2 tsp to 1/4 tsp and the oregano from 2 tsp to 1 tsp. I can't imagine putting 2 tsp cayenne pepper in this, however if you want it very, very hot feel free to use the original amount I did modify the cooking steps a bit but it is still a fantastic dressing. Please don't let the long list of ingredients deter you from making this recipe. It is worth every step and it is really easy.
| seasoning mix |
| 1 tablespoon salt |
| 1 teaspoon salt |
| 1 tablespoon white pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper |
| 2 teaspoons ground black pepper |
| 1 teaspoon dried oregano |
| 1 teaspoon onion powder |
| 1 teaspoon dried thyme |
| cornbread mixture |
| 1 cup butter |
| 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions |
| 1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell peppers |
| 1 cup finely chopped celery |
| 2 tablespoons minced garlic |
| 3 Large bay leaves |
| 2 cups chicken stock |
| 2 tablets tabasco |
| 10 cups finely chopped cornbread |
| 2 cans 12 oz evaporated milk |
| 6 beaten eggs |
Preheat oven to 350F Mix the "seasoning Mix" ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large dutch oven or deep skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Saute until soft,scraping bottom occasionally, about 30-45 minutes. Add the seasoning mix and saute another 5 minutes. Add the stock and Tabasco and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the crumbled cornbread, milk, and eggs stirring well to mix. Spoon the dressing into a greased 9x13 baking pan, spreading the mixture evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and discard the bay leaves.
© DVO
