Debra’s Holiday Dressing
I hit the lottery when it comes to my in-laws. I have the most loving, fun, caring family in the world through my husband, Ronnie. Auntie Debra is so bubbly, kind, and funny. She’s been the host for all holidays for the last 13 years that I’ve known her / Ronnie and I have been together, and I always look forward to her dressing. As Ronnie and I start to navigate the holidays with a kiddo of our own, I’m learning some of the core family recipes so I can bring the magic of the Caldwell Family holidays into our home. What follows is Debra’s Holiday Dressing (spicy version). And it is absolutely delectable.
What You’ll Need
16 oz box of cornbread
Flour
Eggs
Milk
Notes from Debra: Even though the box doesn’t say it, if you’re using cornbread mix, you’ll want to add 1 cup of flour per 16 oz, and double the recommended number of eggs to your mix before baking (for example: for 16 oz of Jiffy, you’ll use 4 eggs instead of 2)
2 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 box (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing
1 bag (12 oz) Pepperidge Farm Bread Crumb Stuffing
2 tbs olive oil
3 onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped
3 jalapeños, chopped
Fresh rosemary, chopped
Fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp jalapeno powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
How to Make
Preheat your oven to 350 °F
First, let’s get the cornbread started.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, eggs, and milk. Stir until just combined. Transfer to a greased, oven-safe dish. Bake until done according to the box instructions. Let cool. Once cool, break up into crumbles. In a very large bowl or oven-safe pan, combine the crumbled cornbread, the dry Stove Top Stuffing mix, and the Pepperidge Farm stuffing. Add the sautéed vegetables, shredded chicken, rosemary, sage, and remaining seasonings. Toss until everything is evenly combined.
Next, let’s boil the chicken thighs.
Place chicken thighs in a pot with enough cold water to cover them by about an inch, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once chicken is cooked through, remove and let cool. Reserve the broth for now. Once cool, use two forks to shred.
After, let’s sauté our veggies.
In a saucepan, warm olive oil, and then sauté onions, green and red bell peppers, celery, and jalapeños until soft.
Then, let’s combine it all together in an oven-safe pan.
In a very large bowl or oven-safe pan, combine the crumbled cornbread, dry Stove Top Stuffing mix, and Pepperidge Farm stuffing. Add the sautéed vegetables, shredded chicken, rosemary, sage, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, jalapeño powder, and poultry seasoning. Toss until everything is evenly combined. If too dry, gradually add reserved chicken broth, stirring as you go, until the dressing is moist.
Finally, you’re ready to bake!
Note: A normal amount of dressing would probably take ~45 minutes to cook through, but this is A LOT of dressing. So if you’re doing this recipe as-is, like Debra does, you’ll need to bake for 2-3 hours until warm and cooked through. Set aside to cool before serving, it will be piping hot when it comes out!
Enjoy!
