Cornbread Stuffing

Thanksgiving is one of my family's favorite holidays because it is-ALL ABOUT THE FOOD! But as I have written before, what we really enjoy is spending the time together preparing, eating, and even cleaning up together. Really just an excuse to have a party.

Last Thanksgiving we were all together for the first time in many years and with most of the kids as adults. My son and his wife generously hosted us in their large kitchen so that there were, throughout the day, most or many of us in the kitchen at the same time preparing the food together and discussing the the changes that we have made in the traditional recipes, the events of the past year, our dreams for the future, and comfortable silence (ok, maybe not so much silence with our growing numbers that are up to 19 + friends and family members who joined us).

Like many of you, stuffing is a traditional part of our Thanksgiving dinner. While it is called stuffing, because we eat so much of it at dinner and for yummy leftovers, I rarely stuff the bird any more. I usually make a restaurant size pan (roughly equivalent to 4- 9x13 pans) of stuffing to insure that we have enough leftovers. However, this year we have a little smaller group so I am still trying to decide just how much to make-to insure we have enough leftovers. We have a fairly longstanding joke in our family about why people don't like stuffing. My kids say that it is because they use bread instead of cornbread.

I grew up with my mom and my grandma making cornbread stuffing so to me that is just what you do. Unfortunately, my kids grew up the same way so on the occasions that we have had Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners with others who prepared bread stuffing, the kids would solicit cornbread stuffing to be made when we got home. Now, we just volunteer to make the stuffing! However, there are those who prefer bread stuffing-probably because that is what they grew up eating.

If you have never liked stuffing but have never eaten cornbread stuffing, I suggest you give it a try. You might be surprised at the difference just a change of bread can make.

Just so you know, my son and I have had a little discussion about the exact proportions, but if you notice the note at the end of the recipe, the most important thing to use cornbread and some of the rest of the ingredients. My son and I are both recording the EXACT amounts (I don't know if that is possible) of the ingredients that we use this year to see if we, in fact, do agree on the proportions.

Cornbread Stuffing

Grandma Palilla

2 ½ cups chopped celery

1 ¼ cups chopped onion

7 ½ cups coarsely crumbled corn bread

4 teaspoons sage

3 + cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Mix celery, onion, and cornbread together in a bowl. Add the sage and enough broth to make very moist, almost soupy. Pour into 9 x 13 baking pan and bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until set up and a knife comes out clean.

What I Do: Sometimes I use reconstituted chicken bouillon cubes in place of or for part of the broth. Use a 9x13 pan (usually a double batch of your favorite cornbread recipe) to make this quantity. You can see my cornbread recipe below.

These amounts can vary quite a bit; the important thing is to use cornbread and some of each of the other ingredients.

Cornbread

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup yellow corn meal

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 400º F. Grease 8”- 9” square pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. 9 servings.

What I Do: I always use yellow corn meal, I add the salt, and I add ½-3/4 cup sugar for a single recipe. I also use shortening instead of oil. Mix the dry ingredients then use a pastry blender to blend in the shortening just until the size of small peas. Add a whole egg and milk stirring just enough to moisten. Do NOT use the mixer for cornbread, it beats it too much and makes it tough. I usually double this recipe and make it in a 9x13” pan. This recipe can be doubled, but does not turn out as well when tripled or quadrupled.