Thankfulness Challenge – Potluck Meals

Tomorrow is our Thanksgiving lunch at work, it’s Potluck. I’m bringing my mom’s Cornbread dressing… and yes it’s dressing not stuffing. There is a difference. Notice I said I’m bringing not that I’m cooking ….. tho I guess technically due to the crockpot I am. See we’ll mix up all the stuff tonight, put it in a huge bowl that will go in our fridge then tomorrow morning I’ll drag it and the crockpot up to our office and it will cook in my office. My office will smell amazing all day long. Sometime around 10 a few friends will stop by with a cup in hand and we’ll sample the goods. I mean you don’t want to serve something to a group of people that doesn’t taste very good so you have to taste it ahead of time. One year we sampled a little too much and the crockpot never made it to the office table. I regret nothing. Guys it is that good ….. it is literally to die for. If I’m ever on death row and they come around asking about my last meal I want my momma’s crockpot dressing. 

It’s really simple to put together but it does take some planning and time.

Here’s the recipe …. Incase you are interested …

Crock Pot Dressing

·       1 Pan Cornbread (I use a 10 inch cast iron)  use 5-6 large eggs

·       1 10oz. can of cream of chicken soup

·       1 10oz. can of cream of celery soup

·       1 to 3 10oz. cans swanson Chicken Broth

·       1 stick butter (can use margarine, but butter makes it richer)

·       1/2 onion, chopped (I love Onion so often use the whole onion. I also like to use a sweet Onion like from GA or TX)

·       3 pieces of sandwich bread crumbled (left out overnight so it's kind of dry) 

·       salt and pepper to taste

Mix up and cook your cornbread as usual only be sure to add your eggs in your cornbread about 5 large, it needs to be a little more dense than a typical cornbread. Once the cornbread is done put it into a LARGE mixing bowl and crush it all up into breadcrumbs. Mom jokes I crush it up to much to where you can’t tell what it is but the more you crush it up the yummier it taste. Then crumble up three pieces of plain white bread in the same fashion adding them to your mixing bowl. Then dump in the cream of chicken soup, the cream of celery soup, the butter, and the onions into the same mixing bowl as the cornbread and carefully stir to combine. This is the moment where if you aren’t careful most of it ends up on the table. Avoid that at all cost. Then once everything is incorporated add the Chicken Broth a little at a time. You want it to be really wet cause it will continue to absorb throughout the night. We actually add a little more the next morning (sometimes) depending on how dry it is. AT this point taste it. Then add Salt and Pepper to taste. Often we don’t need Salt (the soups and chicken broth take care of it) but we always add pepper. Make sure everything is very well mixed in the bowl. Then let it hang out in the fridge over night (or if you want go directly to the crockpot but if you can let it sit and meld the flavors together your time is well spent). The next morning move from Mixing Bowl to the Crockpot and cook on high for an hour or two stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Then turn it down to low to cook until ready to serve. Typically you would like for it to cook about 4 hours total. We like ours a little moist so we keep the lid on until time to serve but if you like it to be dryer and more dense then take the lid off towards the end of cooking letting some of the moisture out of the crockpot.

It’s not at all figure friendly but it’s amazing and your friend and family will love you for it. I am forever grateful to the lady who gave this recipe to my aunt who then gave it to my mom who is giving it to me. It’s my favorite thing about the holidays and once I’ve had a spoonful I’m ready to put up the tree! Well after I eat some pie and have an adult beverage or two during Drunksgiving.

Happy eating !

Marcy

@beaslma