Sage Stuffing (or Dressing-whatever you want to call it!)

Here it is, 2 days before Thanksgiving. Time really flies by fast this time of year doesn't it? If you are hosting the meal on the big day I hope that you already have some of the preparations out of the way so that you can enjoy your time with family and friends. Our family had our big dinner this past Sunday. Now that our kids are all married, it seemed like a good idea to celebrate on a different day than Thanksgiving. That frees up the kids to go to the other side of the family on the big day. I mean, it's not really fun if you have to make it to 3 dinners in one day. So this worked well for us.
I thought I'd share my stuffing recipe with you today. Dressing or stuffing, I've called it both names. For years I've tried to make my stuffing like my mother-in-law used to. But she didn't follow a recipe, she had a method that she followed every year that produced a moist and spicy bread dressing that we loved. I'm getting closer. I think I would have nailed it this year, but I needed more sage. But this was still a yummy dressing full of fresh herbs that made tasty leftovers too. My photo was taken quickly, before we sat down to devour our food. Here is my method.

Sage Stuffing
From Lynda's Recipe Box
(Hint) You may use all bread if desired, instead of adding cornbread. To save time on the big day, prepare the corn bread 2 days ahead of your dinner. Also cube the bread at this time. Use a hearty white bread. It will then be dried out enough to stir up the day before your dinner. Just mix up the stuffing and place in a greased baking dish; cover and refrigerate. Take out of fridge about 30 minutes before placing in the oven, Bake and serve.

Ingredients:
about 8 cups of white bread cubes- trim crusts from bread and cut into small cubes
about 4 cups of cornbread, cubed or crumbled- from this recipe, or your own recipe
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped- or about 1 tablespoons dried sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
about 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup), unsalted butter, melted
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup of unsalted chicken stock or broth, or more
1/3 cup half and half or heavy cream

Preparation:
If you need to dry the bread and cornbread more, place the cubes on 2 baking sheets and place in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until dry. Cool in pans, then transfer to a large bowl. When ready to stir up the dressing, stir in the herbs and the salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 5minutes. Pour into the bowl with the bead. Mix the eggs and half and half together. Pour over the bread. Add the chicken broth and toss all the ingredients together. if you need more broth stir it in. I used about 1 1/3 cup.

Transfer stuffing to a greased 2 1/2 quart to 3 quart baking dish. Cover with foil. (At this point you can refrigerate the stuffing for 1 day.) If ready to bake, place it covered, in the middle of the oven at 350 degrees for 25minnutes. Uncover and bake another 25 - 30minutes until golden. Remove from oven and enjoy.
Also check out my recipe for Sausage and Cornbread Dressing.

My daughter Hailey has started a food blog also. She'd be so happy if you stopped by to "hi" at Tasteful Cuisine.

Skillet Tamale Pie

 If you've followed my blog for awhile, you know that I love skillet meals or other one pot meals. If I can throw everything into a skillet and have a meal, I am so very happy. And if said meal is delicious and my husband likes it, I'm ecstatic! And if this wonderful recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, "The Best Chicken Recipes", that I found last week while shopping at TJ Max for $8.00!!!, then I'm almost ready to do cartwheels. Almost. Good food and good bargains cause me to get excited.
This recipe calls for ground chicken, and I didn't have any, nor did I have ground turkey. But I had a pound of chicken breasts in the fridge, so I figured I'd make it work. I diced the chicken into small pieces. And the recipe said you could use a cornbread mix for the topping. I did as I was lazy in a hurry. I made some minor changes. I used Monterrey Jack cheese, instead of cheddar. I used a bit less garlic, and I added about 3/4 cup of frozen corn that was hanging out in the fridge. I'm adding this to my favorites list as it's easy to prepare, tastes great and it's a perfect week night meal.This is a mild tasting meal so if you like your Mexican style meals spicier, you'll need to add some more heat. We thought it was just spicy enough for the two of us. And the fresh cilantro is really a flavor booster, so try not to leave it out (unless you hate cilantro, that is). I hope you'll give this Skillet Tamale Pie a try. I think you'll love it.

Skillet Tamale Pie
slightly adapted from "The Best Chicken Recipes" form Cook's Illustrated
The recipe calls for ground chicken, but you can substitute ground turkey or lean ground beef.
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed - recipe calls for 3
1 pound ground chicken- I used breasts that I sliced thin and then diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup frozen corn -my addition
4 ounces, 1 cup, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese - recipe calls for cheddar
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 (6.5 ounce - 8.5 ounce) package of cornbread mix, made according to package directions - I used Betty Crocker. If you would rather use a homemade topping, I'll include the recipe below. 

1. Place your oven rack in the middle position in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook until half done at least and then add black beans and tomatoes to the pan. Stir until the meat is no longer pink.. Stir in the corn.
4. Mix corn bread batter to package directions.
5. To the skillet add the cheese and cilantro and mix until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dollop the cornbread batter over the the filling and spread into an even layer. Bake until the cornbread is baked through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tea. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk3 tablespoons melted butter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the melted butter. Spoon over the top of the Tamale Pie and bake as directed above. I have not tried this cornbread topping yet, but this is the topping that was included with Cooks recipe.

Sausage and Cornbread Dressing

 I love dressing. It is one of my favorite components of Thanksgiving dinner. I like it better than turkey. I'll even take it over mashed potatoes. For me, dressing is on the same level as homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and apple pie.
I've always made an all bread stuffing, but I have memories of eating a super delicious cornbread stuffing years ago at a church dinner. This Cook's Country recipe is wonderful, perfect in almost every way, and reminded me of that long ago dressing. You need to make the corn bread a couple of days ahead, to cut down on food preparations on the big day. I made only half the recipe, because a 9x13 pan is way too much for just my hubby and me. He stills prefers a bread stuffing, but I have been in heaven with this stuff. Even though this recipe contains sausage, the dressing would be equally delicious without the meat. I did double the sage and  I added alittle bit of sugar (gasp!) to the cornbread recipe. I'm one of those people that like some sweetness to the cornbread. Here's the full recipe, for the cornbread, and then the dressing, with my changes added.

Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing
Slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country.
Cornbread can be made up to 2 days ahead to have time to stale.

Cornbread Recipe:
2 2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
4 large eggs
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar- my addition

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and oil. In another bowl combine, flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth.
2. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan.
3. If the cornbread is made 2 days in advance, you may not need to oven-dry the cornbread. If using freshly baked cornbread, cut cooled bread into 1 inch cubes and place on 2 baking sheets. Place pans in a250 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes. Cool.

DRESSING:
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage- I used Jimmy Dean
2 onions, finely chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped-- the recipe calls for 3 ribs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves minced garlic- recipe calls for 4 cloves
2 teaspoons dried sage- Recipe calls for 1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme- recipe calls for 1 teaspoon thyme
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth- I needed a little more
1 cup half and half
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper- recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon

1. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium high heat, but turn heat down if it begins to burn. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet and adding 2 tablespoons of butter also. I did not have hardly any grease, so I added 4 of the tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage, thyme and garlic to the pan and saute about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, and remove the pan from the heat. Cool about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt and cayenne. Slowly stir in the warm broth mixture. Fold  in the cubed cornbread and the cooked sausage. Let the mixture sit, tossing occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour the dressing mixture into the pan and drizzle with the leftover melted butter. I forgot to do that and didn't really miss it, but more butter is great in stuffing. The dressing still came out golden and delicious. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve and enjoy.

Are you a fan of cornbread dressing, or do you prefer a bread dressing?

Cheese and Jalapeno Corn Bread

My first meal of the New Year happened to be Ham and Beans, so I made my Cheese and Jalapeno Corn Bread to go with it. This particular recipe, which I've been making about 30 years, came from one of my old church cookbooks. This moist, cheesy, spicy corn bread is a favorite of ours and it has always been a hit served with beans, chili and soups. And it makes a great snack too. I hope you'll give it a try.

CHEESE and JALAPENO CORN BREAD

1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 heaping tablespoon flour

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk- or sour milk; see note 2 below

1/2 cup vegetable oil-I use canola

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup canned, cream style corn

3-6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced- I only use 2-3 peppers, depending on the size

1/2 of a large green bell pepper, diced

4-5 green onions,white and green parts, chopped

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the corn meal, flour, salt and soda. Add the buttermilk, oil, eggs and corn and mix. Stir in the jalapenos, green pepper, onions and cheese. ( The original recipe says to pour half of corn meal mixture into pan, then the cheese, then the rest of batter. I just mix it all together.)

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and place in the hot oven until heated, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and pour in the batter. Place back in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes until done. Cool for a couple of minutes before serving. Enjoy!

NOTE: Please wear gloves when working with jalapeno peppers. With a knife, split the pepper in half length wise. Using your knife, scrape out the seeds and membrane of the peppers. Not wearing gloves can cause intense burning of your skin. I speak from experience here, unfortunately. Sigh~
NOTE 2 : To Sour Milk: You can sub sour milk for the butter milk. Put 1 tablespoon white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, into a measuring cup. Fill up to the 1 cup line with milk. Let it sit a minute or so. Then use it in the recipe like buttermilk.

Cornbread Muffins

I think Cornbread Muffins are addictive, or at least these are! They are golden and crusty on the outside, sweet and moist on the inside. Spread with butter, or even honey-butter, these are so tasty! I don't care for cornbread that isn't sweet, but these muffins are just right. This is actually my cornbread recipe, but I decided to make muffins instead. I've made this recipe for a long time and don't really remember where it came from. I get 12 muffins from this recipe, or the cornbread can be baked in a 8x8 inch baking pan, or a cast iron skillet. Delicious! The weather here has been cool the last 2 days with a rainy cold front, so I made these muffins to go with my Hamburger Stew. Here's the recipe.

CORNBREAD MUFFINS

from Lynda's Recipe Box

Makes 12 muffins or an 8x8 inch pan of corn bread.

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk- I usually use 2%

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray, or line with muffin liners.

In a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk together.

In another bowl add the beaten egg, milk, and the melted butter that has been cooled. Whisk together and add to the dry ingredients. Stir all ingredients together just until combined. Over stirring will result in a tough muffin. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins ( fill to the top), and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and muffins are golden. (If baking in a baking pan for cornbread, it will need to bake for about 20 minutes.)

These wonderful muffins will be golden and crusty on the outside and tender inside. Enjoy!

NOTE: The original recipe used 1/2 cup of oil, instead of 1/2 cup of butter. Both work!

Cheese and Jalapeno Cornbread

I have an old church cookbook that was given to me many years ago and I have used it so much that it is literally falling apart. The pages are loose and stained, but there are numerous treasured recipes in this book. One is Cheese and Jalapeno Corn Bread. It is so moist on the inside with a burst of spicy flavor with your first bite! You can make it as mild or as hot as you like, just protect your hands when chopping the jalapenos as your skin can have a bad reaction to the pepper juice. It's a good idea to wear gloves when handling any hot pepper. My husband loves this cornbread with soups, stews, and also with a pot of ham and beans. And it is even better the next day!

Cheeese and Jalapeno Corn Bread

1&1/2 cups cornmeal

2 eggs, beaten

1 heaping Tablespoon flour

1 cup cream style canned corn

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3-6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 cup buttermilk

4-5 green onions, chopped

1/2 chopped bell pepper

2/3 cup oil

1&1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x 13in. glass pan with shortening and heat well in oven. Mix corn meal, flour, salt and soda; add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and corn in a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in jalapenos, green onions and bell pepper.Remove pan from oven and pour half of mixture into the pan; top with half of the cheddar cheese. Pour remaining batter over cheese and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 35 min. Enjoy!