OYSTER DRESSING

Oyster Dressing!

1/2 (16-ounce) package ground mild pork sausage with sage
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
10 cups cubed day-old cornbread
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) packages shucked raw Louisiana oysters, drained (about 2 cups)

1.) Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2.) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until browned and crumbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, set sausage aside, reserving rendered fat in pan.
3.) Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in sage, salt, hot sauce, and pepper; cook for 3 minutes more.
4.) In a large bowl, gently fold together cornbread, sausage, onion mixture, eggs, broth, and oysters. Pour mixture into prepared dish.
5.) Bake, uncovered, until top is golden brown and dressing is firm to the touch, approximately 40 minutes.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Homemade Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe ~Soul Food Style~
Serves: 10

BASIC CORNBREAD RECIPE
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
½ cup self-rising flour
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

SOUTHERN DRESSING RECIPE
Cornbread (9x9 inch pan) (my grandmother always uses day old cornbread)
1 cup onions, diced (about half of a large onion)
1 cup of celery, diced (about 3 stalks)
1 cup of green bell peppers diced (about 1 medium green bell pepper. You could also add in some red bell pepper as well if you'd like)
3 pieces of toast
1 shredded chicken breast
2 eggs
3-4 cups of chicken or turkey broth
Seasonings (poultry seasonings, sage, black pepper, ) *see recipe


Preheat the oven to 350
In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal & flour.
Add in the buttermilk, eggs & oil. Stir until combined.

Pour into a greased, shallow baking dish or iron skillet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until set. Let cool.
When your cornbread has cooled, break it up in a large bowl, along with the toast.

Saute onions, celery and green bell peppers in a little bit of butter until tender.
Add the shredded chicken & the sautéed veggies into the cornbread mixture. Use your hands to really mix it up good.
Add in some spices. I usually start with a teaspoon of each and then add more after I put the broth in if it needs it. Mix it up well.
Next add in the broth a little at a time. Add in just enough to make it thick & kinda soupy. Stir it up.

Give it a taste. It should taste exactly the way you want your dressing to taste. If it needs more spices add them in here.
When you are content with the taste, go ahead and stir in the eggs.
Pour into a buttered 9 X 13 casserole pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

Notes
Be sure to taste it before adding in the eggs and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
You can also use chicken thighs for more flavor.
My grandmother uses red bell pepper as well sometimes.
It's best to use cornbread that is a few days old since it's not as moist. Dry cornbread makes the best dressing!

DIRTY RICE for PEPPERS and STUFFED TOMATOES

Dirty Rice for Peppers

1 pound chicken livers
4 Tbsp. Butter, more as needed
1 medium onion, chopped
½ medium bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, minced
½ tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. hot sauce
　
3 cups day old cooked rice
Finely chop chicken livers and saute with onion, bell pepper and celery, till soft. Mix in the garlic and green onions and parsley; cook for five more minutes. Mash up the livers as well as you can, you want no large pieces. Add the thyme, bay leaf, hot sauce and cook briefly to mellow the garlic. Add the rice and mix well. Cook until heated through. 

This is as close as I can get to a formula. It’s really an improvised dish for the most part. Another thing you can do is cook a box of Zatarains dirty rice mix and add to this along with the leftover white rice. Could throw in some granulated garlic to taste as well. Whatever you do will be good. Look at some pictures on the internet to get the general idea.

Stuffed Tomatoes

4 rather small ripe tomatoes
2 cups Dirty Rice (see recipe)
Red bell pepper or roasted red pepper strips for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Scoop out tomatoes to make a shell in the usual way. Turn upside down on paper towels to drain. Fill each tomato with 1/4 cup dirty rice. Place in square baking pan . Fill with water about ½ way to the top of the tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes at 350. Serves 4.

OYSTER DRESSING

Oyster Dressing

2 sticks butter
4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. Thyme
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. Hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 ½ dozen oysters, liquor reserved
1 loaves French bread
3 eggs
1 tsp. Garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in skillet with parsley, celery, green pepper, thyme, onion, salt and pepper; saute 10 to 15 minutes, till soft. Add oysters and saute an additional 10 to 50 minutes. While oysters saute, in a mixing bowl moisten bread with reserved oyster liquor (add water or stock if necessary), it should be wet, but not soggy, and then mash it with your hands. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. 

Place in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour at 350. Stir after the first half hour of cooking. Remove from oven and place in refrigerator and cool.
Stuff seafood, vegetables and just about anything else with this.

CRABMEAT DRESSING

Crabmeat Dressing

Another dressing that can be used to stuff your favorite vegetables, fish, chicken and meat.

2 sticks butter
4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. Thyme
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp hot sauce
salt and pepper
2 lbs. Crabmeat, picked over
1 ½ loaves French bread
3 eggs
1 tsp. Garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in skillet with parsley, celery, green pepper, thyme, onion, salt and pepper; saute 10 to 15 minutes. Add crabmeat and saute an additional 10 to 15 minutes. 

While crabmeat sautès, moisten bread (it should be wet, but not soggy) in a bowl and then mash it with your hands. (If you use canned crab meat add the juice from the can to the bread to moisten it, then add water if needed). Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce. Place in baking pan and bake for 1 hour at 350. Stir after the first ½ hour of cooking. Remove from oven and place I n refrigerator to cool.

Place this dressing in a pie crust before baking, and you have a quick crabmeat pie. Use miniature pie shells for appetizers. You can do the same with the Oyster dressing.
　

RICE EGGPLANT DRESSING

RICE EGGPLANT DRESSING

2 cups rice

3 eggplants

3 slices bread

3 pounds ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped finely

 5 stalks celery, chopped finely

1 can tomatoes, chopped with their liquid

1 Tbsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. black pepper

1/2 Tbsp red pepper

Parmesan cheese

Bread crumbs

Cook the 2 cups of rice.  Peel and cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch cubes.  Boil for 20 minutes in a little salted water.  Add 5 slices shredded bread to soak up water.  Brown ground meat.  Add onions, celery and bell pepper to meat and cook till soft.  Add the meat mixture to the eggplant along with the can of tomatoes, garlic salt, salt, black and red peppers.  Add the rice. Top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.  Fills two 2 quart casseroles.  Freezes well.  Serves 16.

RICE DRESSING

RICE DRESSING

interchangeable with dirty rice

5 chopped medium onions

1 chopped bell pepper

1 chopped hot pepper

1 chopped mild pepper

2 stalks chopped celery

3 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 pound finely chopped chicken livers

1 pound finely chopped chicken giblets

1 cup water

4 dozen oysters

1 quart green onion tops

3 cups cooked rice

Salt to taste

(chicken livers and giblets can be omitted)

Add onions, peppers, and celery to two kichen spoons of roux.  When wilted add pork and ground beef.  Let cook on very low heat two hours.  Add liver and giblets.  Cook thirty minutes.  Add water (1 cup) to keep it moist and not runny.  When you are ready to serve oysters and green onion tops.  Let cook until oysters are done (about 5 minutes).  Add rice to mixture.

The above mixture (without oysters) can be frozen for months.

16 servings

OYSTER BREAD DRESSING

OYSTER BREAD DRESSING

1 large loaf stale French bread

1/2 pound saltine crackers

1 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

2 pounds ground pork

1 large chopped onion

1/2 chopped bell pepper

2 stalks celery 

3 minced cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

2 Tbsp. oil

1 quart oysters, drained

2-3 Tbsp.  Parmesan cheese

Pimentos

Paprika

Soak crumbled bread and crackers in milk, mix well.  Add eggs and stir well.  Brown pork and add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and cook well until wilted.  Make roux with flour and oil.  Add to meat mixture.  Add cracker mixture and mix well.  Halve oysters and gently fold into mixture.  Place in large, shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with pimiento and paprika.  Cover with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350°.

12 servings

RUDELY DECADENT OYSTER DRESSING

RUDELY DECADENT OYSTER DRESSING

2 large chopped onions

6 bunches chopped green onions

1 bunch chopped parsley

6 cloves minced garlic

6 stalks chopped celery

1 1/2 loaves French bread, dried out

3/4 gallon oysters, (reserve water)

2 heaping Tbsp.  bacon drippings

Salt and pepper

Sauté all chopped seasonings in bacon drippings until tender.  Add oysters.  Cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring.  In another bowl, moisten bread with oyster water, then crumble bread and add to seasoning and oyster mixture.  Cook 15 more minutes.  Place in large baking dish and bake at 350° for 1 hour. 

15 to 20 servings

If desired add chopped turkey liver to dressing before baking.

MIRLITON DRESSING

MIRLITON DRESSING

3-4 fresh mirlitons (2 eggplants can be substituted)

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground beef

1 pound ground ham

1 large finely chopped onion

3 finely chopped green peppers

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt

Italian bread crumbs

Peel vegetable pears (or eggplants), slice, and cook halfway submerged in water until soft.  Drain the water and mash well, either by hand or use a food processor.  In a large pot cook ground pork and beef until the pink is out.  Add ham, onion and green peppers.  Cook until the onions clear and then add the tomatoes.  Cook down until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add remaining seasonings and salt to taste.  Stir in bread crumbs until desired consistency is reached.  Place in a large casserole dish, top with additional Italian bread crumbs, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

The basic dressing recipe is very versatile as it makes a wonderful stuffing for green bell peppers.  Use very small green peppers with the tops and seeds removed.  The stuffed bell peppers topped with breadcrumbs can be baked in a shallow pan filled with a little water in a 350° oven for 25 minutes.  If you don't have any mirliton or eggplant,the meat mixture does just as well wirhout it.