Dressing

Dressing

Half a century ago when my husband and I were dating, we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family. It was the traditional turkey and dressing. It was the dressing my mother made every year and that's what dressing was to me.  Afterward, I asked Joe how he liked the turkey and dressing.  After much evasion, he finally admitted that he liked his mother's dressing better. I was sure that I was going to marry him in spite of his not knowing what proper dressing was.  So the next year we had Thanksgiving dinner with his family.  Oh my, my future MIL really did make a dressing that was way better.  I never got the complete recipe from her because she didn't make it from a recipe, she just put it all together and it was just perfect.  So here is the recipe for the dressing closest to hers that I have ever found. 

2 pans of cornbread 

2 pounds sausage (Owens regular)

4 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped onion 

1 cup chopped bell pepper 

1/4 cup dried parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed savory

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon salt (or less if you prefer)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can chicken broth

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1. Make cornbread, 2 pans. 

2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Lift out with a slotted spoon. 

3. In the pan drippings, sauté celery, onion, and bell pepper, until tender--about 8 minutes. 

4. After cornbread has cooled, crumble it into a very large pan. Add sausage, vegetables, savory, sage, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.  Gradually, add broth and eggs, tossing and mixing thoroughly.  

5. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes to form a nice brown top.