Things I'm thankful for at this moment: that Darwin is getting to sleep in without little girls rousting on his head; for Noogs singing in the bathroom (she's enacting scenes from Wallace and Gromit with toothbrushes); that even though I left my pumpkin pie sitting on top of the stove all night it didn't go bad because I left the window open as well (brr!); that I have a comfortable house, even if right now it's an unholy mess.
In the spirit of sharing, here is the recipe for my mother's cornbread stuffing. It's not Thanksgiving dinner for me without it.
- 2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix, enough to make a 9x13 pan of cornbread (you can make your own, but the sweetness of the Jiffy works well with the stuffing; I prefer it.)
- 2 c. celery, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 c. onions or scallions (I often use green onions)
- giblets from turkey to make broth (or 1 can, about 2 c., chicken broth)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 Tbs. parsley
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/4 tsp. sage
- 1/4 tsp. thyme
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- Bake cornbread and put it into a large bowl. Don't crumble it too much yet.
- Boil giblets and neck to make turkey broth (my mom says just cover them with water, but it works out to be about 2 cups.) Alternatively, boil chicken broth.
- Add celery, bell pepper, onions, and butter to broth; boil until tender.
- If using giblets and if desired, chop up giblets and neck meat and add to corn bread.
- Add all seasonings to cornbread along with salt and pepper to taste, mix.
- Pour broth with vegetables over cornbread mixture and stir just until everything is moistened. This can be refrigerated for several days (makes great leftovers!) or you can put it in a pan, dot the top with butter, and heat through. Serves lots.
Our Lord said that a man shall leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and the two shall be come one flesh. But I don't think they really become a family until they've agreed on a recipe for turkey stuffing. :)
ReplyDeleteEarly in my marriage, B.K. (Before Kids), we ate Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. I was appalled to discover that the turkey stuffing, which is my favorite side dish, included raisins and orange juice. Gag me with a wishbone! Didn't these benighted folk realize that proper stuffing had olives and walnuts?
I hasten to add that time heals parochialism, and we have since developed our own family recipe which includes pine nuts and lemon zest. And I am now more willing than the horses (we have horses rather than monkeys), to break the bonds of tradition with the occasional new and different stuffing recipe.
So thank you for the cornbread variation. I think I once tried making cornbread stuffing using the dried bits that come in a box and was displeased with the bitter flavor. It sounds like the Jiffy cornbread base would be an improvement. (I fondly remember Jiffy cornbread mix from my childhood, though I haven't used it in decades.)
My brother and his wife used to argue every year about whether the Thanksgiving turkey should be stuffed with cornbread or white bread dressing. After 20 years of marriage it suddenly occurred to them that a turkey has two cavities to fill with stuffing. So now they have both flavors on Thanksgiving. (I don't know if they argue about whose flavor gets put in the larger cavity.)
Happy Thanksgiving to all Darwins!
Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to make a sausage, onion, and celery stuffing that for me was the highlight of Thanksgiving. It would out-pile the turkey on my plate by about 2-to-1.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the weekend with your family.