Cornbread Dressing, My Way:
1. In a roaster pan, bust up two loaves of corn bread from a 8 x 8 Pyrex baking dish ( or from a 10" cast iron skillet). I know some folks prefer
a sweet, cake-like corn bread, but don't trash this dressing with
something like that.
2. Saute chopped vegetables - green onions, celery, bell peppers. Use
two or three bunches of onions, maybe 4. I get close to the bulb
when chopping but exclude most of the bulb from the mix.
3. Dump the sauteed veggies onto the corn bread.
4. Add boiled, chopped chicken. (Two or three leg/thigh quarters,
couple of breasts, maybe some wings). Of course you debone the
chicken. I always skin the chicken before boiling it also.
5. Add a can or two of black olives, sliced in half.
6. Pour broth from the boiled chicken onto the corn bread/veggie mix.
Take a long handled spoon (ladle) and thoroughly mix everything.
Add broth until mix is a little soupy.
7. Add powdered sage a teaspoon at a time, thoroughly mixing it into
the dressing. You may want to sample it as you add it. Sage can be
over-powering, but the right amount gives it a nice taste.
8. Add salt to suit yourself. I always get accused of over salting, so be
careful.
9. For the remainder of this experiment, put the lid on the roaster pan
and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. Check on it every 20
minutes and if it looks like it is drying out, add some more broth.
With a lid on it, it drying out shouldn't be a problem. After an hour,
remove the lid and bake a bit longer, maybe another 20 minutes.
Whenever you remove the lid, slide it to the side, keeping your arm
and face clear of the steam rising up from the pan.
I didn't give exact measures here because the cook will ultimately decide on how much bell pepper, celery, or anything else may be adequate. It could take two and a half loaves of corn bread, depending on how much other stuff goes into the mix.