02/04/2020
Chicken N' Dressin'
I know y'all remember me saying at the first of the year I didn't want to look at a pan of dressin' or any other holiday food for a long time. Well, last night a hankering for Nannie Hembree's chicken n' dressin' set in and I went to making it first thing this morning. I had a little leftover cornbread I had frozen and used that, boiled up some chicken and rather than making biscuits I used some hamburger buns leftover from Hamburgers on Sunday. I whipped up a simple gravy and this dressin' hit the spot. I'm so full right now I might just pop walking down to the bus stop to get Zaylee here dreckly. I fixed a cabbage casserole, which I will share tomorrow, some mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce to go with it. It was just like sitting at Nannie's table eating her chicken n' dressin'.
Certain times of the year have me missing my Grandparents more than usual. It was 8 years ago this week that I lost Papa Rackley, it was one of the hardest days of my life. It was hard when I lost Nannie Polly several years before that but when Papa passed I felt so lost. With both of them gone my heart just felt empty. So many memories just overflowed over the days after he was gone, beautiful memories that I've cherished and have been able to share with y'all over the past 7 years. Food and family, that's what we were and still are all about. The love of family brought us all together and our love of good ole Southern cookin' kept our bellies full. Both my Grandmothers made dressin' off and on throughout the year, it was a good way to feed a bunch of us inexpensively. With the addition of chicken in the dressin' you really have a meal in its self. I'm freezing my leftovers so when a craving hits again I want have all the dishes to wash as I have today.
Chicken N' Dressin'
3 heaping cups of crumbled cornbread
2 hamburger or hot dog buns, crumbled
2 T. butter
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1 rib celery, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 1/2 C. rough chopped or shredded cooked chicken
2 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. half & half
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Put the cornbread and buns in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter over med. high heat and add the onions and celery, saute them for 5 minutes and add to the bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients and combine well, it will look soupy. Pour into a greased 2.5 to 3 quart baking dish and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile make the gravy.
10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 C. chicken broth
good pinch each of poultry seasoning, salt and pepper
Put everything in a pot and bring up to a low boil, whisking often. Once heated, remove from the heat and set aside to serve with the dressin'.
