Cornbread Dressing ala Nita

Nita Holleman's Note:

Wonderful dressing for anytime you want a good side dish to go with baked chicken, turkey, or other fowl or fresh pork, Traditional at Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted or 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 2 cups chopped vidalia onions or 2 cups sweet onions (peeled and chopped fine)
• 1 cup chopped celery (scraped, strings removed and chopped fine)
• 3 cups crumbled cornbread, southern style,ala nita (allowed to dry out)
• 2 cups crumbled day old white bread, allowed to dry out (light)
• 3 -4 small spring green onions, trimmed,peeled and sliced thin
• 2 -3 tablespoons dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, stems removed and finely minced
• 2 -3 tablespoons granulated sugar or 2 -3 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute, sweetener
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onions, magic or 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 4 large fresh eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 cups chicken stock (remove some of the grease) or 5 cups campbell chicken broth
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 X 13 pan and set aside.
3. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter, but do not burn.
4. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
5. Add celery and continue sauteing for another 2 or 3 minutes or until onions are soft and somewhat translucent.
6. Do NOT brown.
7. Remove pan from burner and set aside.
8. (Turn burner off.) In a large bowl or pan, combine breads, green onion, parsley and rest of seasonings.
9. Add sauteed onions, celery and drippings.
10. Mix well.
11. Add eggs, chicken broth or stock and melted butter.
12. Mix well.
13. Stuffing mixture should be"wet" and thick like cake batter or soup.
14. Add water if needed, but not too much.
15. Pour stuffing mixture into greased pan and bake for about 40 minutes.
16. Nita's Note: I do NOT add sage or boiled eggs to my dressing.
17. Sage is not traditional in my family and many people do not like it.
18. Boiled eggs toughen and"weep" when reheated.
19. Eggs are better added to the bread when it is made.
20. I do not"stuff" chicken or turkey.
21. This is again, not traditional in our family.
22. Now we are told by the health department folks that doing so can be dangerous and lead to food poisoning.
23. Cornbread Dressing is served as a side dish with sliced or pulled chicken or turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy-- Either giblet gravy, or cream of chicken or turkey gravy.
24. ENJOY!