A Happy Thanksgiving with Mama’s Chicken and Dressing (and some Publishing News!)

Happy Thanksgiving, friend!

Before I type another single word of my own, let’s allow the Word of God to speak. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks! For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thess. 5: 16-18. Amen? Amen! May we all remember that there is always, but always, something to be thankful for!

That said, I came to my desk to add Mama’s Chicken and Dressing recipe to the website because some sweet souls on social media needed more details when I mentioned it earlier. Honestly, I’m totally surprised it isn’t already here?! I do know it’s in my storytelling cookbook. Perhaps that’s why I thought it was on the site. Who knows? But, now that I’m here, and the cookbook is on my mind, I can’t think of a better time to share some exciting news and it just feels right to tell you first because I so appreciate this community. Drum roll….

We are re-releasing Hungry is a Mighty Fine Sauce with a fresh clean look! (I don’t mean to tease anyone, but think white and cranberry!) It should be available by next week, just in time for Christmas gift-giving AND it will be offered in both paperback and hardcover! I’ll circle back as soon as it releases to let you know it’s here.

I’ll have more to say more about this next announcement after Thanksgiving, but I’ve also been busy creating a special Christmas offer. You’re warmly invited to walk through Christmas with me! Just click here to download my free printer-friendly devotional Unwrapping Advent and you’ll be all set for December 1st!

And now, back to Mama’s Chicken and Dressing. This one is a treasured tradition in our family. (Shown here with nothing less than my husband’s favorite Banana Pudding). Try it and see if it doesn’t become golden in yours, too!   

Ingredients:

Cornbread:

Two cups self-rising cornmeal
One third cup self-rising flour
Three tablespoons bacon grease or shortening
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 and 3/4 cup of milk
2 eggs

Dressing:

One good sized hen
One pan of cornbread
One 1 sleeve saltine crackers
Four stalks celery, chopped
1 Bunch of green onion/chopped
One white onion
Five eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Three or four cups broth

Place a good-sized hen in a big boiler and cover it completely with water. Once it boils, turn it down and let it cook on low until the meat is ready to fall off the bones. Take the hen out and let it cool before de-boning it, but make sure you save the broth. It’s priceless and we’ll use it in just a bit.

Sift together two cups self-rising cornmeal and a third cup of self-rising flour. Cut in three tablespoons of shortening (bacon grease is better if you have it.) Add two eggs, one to two tablespoons of sugar, and one and three fourths cup of milk. Stir well, pour in cast iron skillet and bake in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes, or until your cornbread is nice and brown.  

Crumble cornbread in a large bowl along with a sleeve of crushed saltine crackers, add our chopped onion and celery, five more eggs, and salt and pepper it to taste.

Spoon everything into a large buttered casserole dish. (It’s important not to work your dressing too much. You’ll make it dry.) Last step; gradually add your broth until everything is soft and mushy. This isn’t an exact measurement, but you’ll use about three to four cups of broth. Here’s what the dressing looks like before you add the broth and cook it. And seriously, I would eat it like this but for the raw eggs!

 

We’ll cook it about an hour at 350 or until the dressing begins to firm up and the edges get a nice crust, stirring maybe once. That’s Mama’s Chicken and  Dressing.  ENJOY! 

Happy Thanksgiving Hugs, 
Shellie

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“My sister and I are so close that we finish each other’s sentences and often wonder whose memories belong to whom.” – Shannon Celebi