HILL COUNTRY CORNBREAD DRESSING

HILL COUNTRY CORNBREAD DRESSINGCornbread Dressing is a Texas requirement at Thanksgiving Dinner – that’s just a fact. Corn was the grain most readily available to our ancestors and they learned to make delicious breads from the grain when it was dried and ground. We created our Texas Campfire Cornbread Mix around the traditional recipes that we gathered from family and friends, so we think this recipe probably resembles cornbread dressing that’s been made in Texas for several generations. It sits real good on a Thanksgiving Table – just be sure to make a bunch if you want leftovers!

Ingredients

Serves 8-10.

½ cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
5 smoked bacon slices, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ pound smoked ham, finely chopped
4 cups crumbled cornbread, made from Fredericksburg Farms Texas Campfire Cornbread Mix
6 cups French bread cubes
3 eggs, beaten
About 1½ cups chicken or turkey stock, or more as needed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, bacon, seasonings, and ham. Sauté, stirring often, until vegetables are wilted and bacon is cooked but not browned, about 15-20 minutes. Place cornbread and French bread in a large bowl. Pour vegetable mixture over bread; toss to combine. Stir in beaten eggs. Add enough stock or broth to make a moist dressing, stirring to break up cornbread and French bread. Turn the dressing out into a large baking dish or casserole and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Drizzle additional stock (or turkey drippings) as needed to keep the dressing very moist. Serve hot.