Tired of the same old dishes during the holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas)? Why not add a little kick to your dressing with this recipe for creole cornbread dressing. It's savory, has just a touch of spice, and a lot of love. Trust me, it'll have your guests saying "Oooh wee, this is good!"
Ingredients
1 (12-oz.) package chicken andouille sausage, chopped
8 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large celery stalks, diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 medium-size green bell pepper, diced
4 cups cornbread crumbles (simply make one box of over-the-counter cornbread (Jiffy, Bisquick, etc) and crumble into semi-fine pieces)
1/2 cup butter
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, diced
1 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups chopped toasted pecans
2 tablespoons low-sodium Creole seasoning (many brands offer low sodium versions of creole seasoning now)
2 (14-oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
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Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté andouille sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients, and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in cornbread crumbles.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and sauté 3 minutes. Add sherry, and cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half; stir in parsley. Stir mushroom mixture, toasted pecans, and Creole seasoning into cornbread mixture.
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3. Whisk together chicken broth and eggs; add to cornbread mixture, stirring gently just until moistened. Divide mixture between 1 lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish and 1 lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.
4. Bake dressing at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
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Cranberry & Jalapeno Cornbread Dressing From Chef Judson Todd Allen's 'Spice Diet'
One holiday dish that seems to give many home cooks nightmares is cornbread dressing. From it being dry and crumbly to lacking flavor, this dish pulls in the sweetness of cranberry and spiciness of jalapeno to deliver a rich and moist dressing. It can be served as a stand-alone side dish or for a heightened gastronomic experience, it is stuffed inside of small Cornish hens and roasted to perfection.
Serves – 6
Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cook Time – 1 hour 15 minutes minutes
INGREDIENTS
Cornbread Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
Dressing Ingredients
Cornbread
2 cups seasoned croutons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup Jalapeno pepper
3/4 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4-5 cups chicken stock
4 – eggs, beaten
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1. To prepare cornbread, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a small pot. In a mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. While stirring, add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Stir until all lumps are gone. You should have a pancake batter-like consistency.
3. Pour batter into an oiled cast-iron skillet or baking dish.
4. To prepare dressing, add oil to a large saute pan. Add onions, garlic, celery, and red peppers and wine; cook over medium heat until tender, about 7 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and add croutons, vegetable mixture, thyme, sage, poultry seasoning, black pepper, jalapenos, and cranberries. Add stock and eggs and stir until well combined.
6. Transfer dressing to an oiled casserole dish and bake until golden on top and cooked through.
HELPFUL TIPS
Tip 1 – Instead of using a broth, work with a rich chicken or vegetable stock to bring moisture into your cornbread dressing. Simply put – It tastes better.
Tip 2 – Take the flavor experience to a new level, by adding elements of surprise to your dressing like jalapeno for spice, cranberry for sweetness or even sausage and mushrooms for savory notes.
Tip 3 – Saute your vegetables (onions, celery, peppers) in olive oil, spices, dry wine and fresh herbs to soften and then transfer them to the bread mixture. This heightens the flavor and adds moisture to the dressing.*
Vegan With Soul: Collard Green Gumbo & Hot Water Cornbread
Here’s my theory. Just because we’re eating somewhat healthy and 100% plant-based doesn’t mean the food has to lack flavor. I love taking the flavors I grew up with and presenting them in brand new ways. I will admit, I didn’t grow up eating and cooking gumbo. But, one trip to Bourbon Street and I started to understand!!! So, now, I take what I did grow up eating and introduce it to my time spent in New Orleans for a wonderful treat!
Ingredients:
1 cup of Canola oil
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of diced onion
3/4 cup of diced green bell pepper
3/4 cup of diced celery
About 8 cups (sometimes a bit more) of vegetable stock
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of gumbo file
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (there’s a vegan version out)
A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
About 3/4 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning (non-salted)
About 3/4 tablespoon of Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
4 cups of frozen chopped collard greens
Directions:
1. Here’s how you do it. Start by using a large pot that can withstand some heat. Heat it on the stove. When the pan is hot, add in the oil. Have the flour ready on standby. When the oil is at the point where it just starts smoking, add in the flour and stir. Stir well and you’ll need to continue to stir so nothing burns. The goal is to get the roux to a nice dark chocolate color. Once you’re there, add in the diced onion, diced bell pepper, and diced celery. Let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes – while stirring occasionally – then, add in the vegetable stock.
2. At this point, reduce the heat and add in all of the other ingredients. Allow the gumbo to cook for about 30 minutes until it’s rich and thick. At this point, it’s a good time to taste it. See, here’s the deal when you’re cooking a big pot of stew like this...
...Some days, you’ll have to add more salt and then other days, you’ll have added enough. The only way to know is to taste it. If it needs more salt, add in a bit more of the Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning just to make sure your flavors are on point.
3. I served my gumbo with hot water cornbread. It was so easy to make. I just put 3 cups of cornmeal mix into a bowl. Then, I added in about 1 1/2 cups of hot water. The idea is to make it into a thick batter. Then, I heated about a half-inch of Canola oil in a skillet and poured in a big spoonful. I was sure to spread it out kinda thin in the pan.
4. Then, once it was golden brown on one side, I flipped it and cooked it on the other side until it was cooked through.
