I like Southern cornbread, but because it is a heavy carb content, I make it rarely. Even when I do make the cornbread, I often have about half of it left over and finding a use for cold cornbread is a challenge. Until I remember Thanksgiving and what happens to cornbread at that time of year: it becomes turkey stuffing or dressing.
A great stuffing/dressing can be used in a variety of ways to perk up a boring winter meal. The recipe here can be used to stuff chicken breasts, pork chops, big-cap mushrooms or just about anything else—veggie or meat—that can use a flavor boost. I even steal slices as a snack—far too often, I’m afraid.
I cook my cornbread in a square iron skillet that I bought from an old lady 30 years ago at a flea market (she said it belonged to her grandmother and was seasoned to perfection). The result is always spot-on.
- 2 cups leftover cornbread
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 cups chicken or beef broth
- ¾ teaspoon of oregano
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or butter if you’re bold)
- Spray veggie oil
- 1.5 cups chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
Crumble the cornbread completely and mix everything with the liquid, creating a semi-soupy mix. You can use a little more or a little less liquid, depending on how dry you want the result to be. The extra egg will give the finished dish more body.
Prepare your pan by spraying on a coating of vegetable oil and putting it in the oven to get hot. Pour the mixture into the hot skillet and pop it into a pre-heated 425-degree over for 20-25 minutes (depending on how dry or moist you want it to be).
You can use the soupy mixture to stuff your mushrooms or pork chops (or whatever else you prefer). It’s hard to overcook the mixture when used as stuffing.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).
