Authentic Southern Cornbread Dressing From Dixie

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 5 -6 cups of cooked unsweetened cornbread, equal to 1 9 x 11 pan
• 1 1/2 bunches green onions, finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (i know, but it works)
• 1 lb cooked sausage, pulsed to fine crumbles in food processor (not sage)
• 8 -10 leaves finely minced fresh sage
• 7 -8 cups chicken broth, homemade is even better
• 2 cups shredded chicken meat (optional)
• salt
• fresh ground pepper

Recipe

• 1 crumble cornbread into large bowl. do not use cornbread mix (such as jiffy) because it has sugar. some mixes do not have sugar and those are fine.
• 2 put onions and celery into microwave-safe dish with 1/2 cup chicken broth. cook vegetables until softened - approx.6-8 minutes.
• 3 pour vegetables into cornbread bowl. add sausage, sage and chicken,if using. sometimes it's easiest to use your hands and mix, making sure all the ingredients mix together.
• 4 stir in cream of chicken soup. slowly adding broth as you stir.
• 5 the cornbread will beging to soak up the broth, so let it rest a bit in between adding all the broth. the final consisitency should be very soupy.
• 6 add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
• 7 refrigerate overnight if you have time - the flavors will meld and create a tastier dressing. add more broth as needed if it has thickened. it still needs to be soupy or it will be too dry once it is cooked.
• 8 pour into lightly greased 9 x 12 baking dish. i usually have enough to fill another 9 x 9 baking dish, as well. bake at 375*, covered, removing foil last 10 minutes so it is golden brown on top - usually 45 minute - 1 hour. you want it to be very moist even after it is baked so do not overcook.
• 9 .