Good Turkey or Chicken Dressing

The following recipe originated at the now-defunct Purefoy Hotel in Talladega, Ala., and has been a staple at Betty Harrison of Atlanta and her family's Thanksgiving feast for 50 years. Rogers Lane, her mother's longtime cook, made the dressing into individual patties the size of an oval hamburger patty, put them on baking sheets and cooked them in a hot oven until crispy on the edges (about 20 minutes).
-- Susan Puckett

Hands on time: 26 minutes  Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes  Serves: 24

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, oil or bacon drippings
• 4 medium onions, chopped
• 10 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 10 cups crumbled corn bread (recipe below)
• 1 loaf stale white bread, cubed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6-7 eggs, beaten
• 3-4 cups rich chicken or turkey broth

FOR CORN BREAD: Makes 2 round cakes, or 10 cups of crumbs

• Shortening or bacon grease for pans or skillet
• 3 cups cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
•  1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the fat. When warm, add the onions and celery and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the corn bread and white bread. Add the cooked onions and celery (and fat), sugar, pepper and eggs; stir to combine. Add enough broth until the mixture is moist enough to form into patties (about 3 cups), or until it resembles a thick batter. Pour into lightly greased baking dish (1 (10-by-15-inch) dish or 1 (9-by-13-inch) dish plus about 10 patties), or form into hamburger-size patties and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until casseroles are set, about 45 to 60 minutes for casseroles (cooking time will vary with size of baking dish) or until patties are crispy around the edges, about 20 minutes.

For corn bread:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 (9- or 10-inch) cast-iron skillets (or corn stick or muffin pans) and place in the oven.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the buttermilk, then the eggs. Stir to combine. Fill the pans with the batter and place in the oven until lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition: