d r a f t
Linked here for further study as my quest continues for low-fat, low-carb casserole recipes (well, *relatively* low-starch). I’ve been experimenting with a chicken-and-cornbread dressing concoction that bears pretty much the same relation to a real Southern style dressing that my version of tamale pie does to a real tamale pie (let alone an authentic Tex-Mex tamale). Banking on my hunch that walnuts and dried cranberries might go well with a Thanksgiving type dressing, I Googled recipes that called for them in the ingredients.
I checked out some recipes for Norwegian julekake, too, since it features candied fruits in a holiday bread.. (Pronounced YOOL-uh-KAH-kuh, it’s the Norwegian word for Christmas cake, and, no, any Spanish speakers in the back of the room need to know the Scandinavian words for cake have nothing whatsoever to do with caca). So it’s very different, and maybe I should say it’s *inspired* by julkake. I tried to stay with recipes calling for ingredients that might work with cornbread.
One was by Martha Stewart, so I’m in a position I’d never, ever dreamt of — paying attention to *anything* Martha Stewart says or does. Her recipe has pecans instead of walnuts, but I guess any nuts will do.
If this gets anywhere, can I call it my Nutso chicken-and-cranberry pie? So far I’ve just mixed up the cornbread mix with cream of chicken soup and precooked shredded chicken, and popped it in the oven for 45 minutes or so. It’s nothing like the recipes I consulted, but it’s OK served with cranberry sauce as a side. Has kind of a holiday-ish vibe, too, at least compared with some of what I come up with when it’s my turn to cook. Maybe adding some nuts and dried cranberries would work with the cornbread mix. Unsugared, of course. I drink unsweetened ice tea now, but I didn’t sacrifice all my standards when I moved up north. Worth a try, anyway.
Here’s a link to the Martha Stewart Dried-Fruit and Nut Cornbread Dressing recipe: https://www.marthastewart.com/1038819/dried-fruit-and-nut-cornbread-dressing.
Cornbread
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal (not stone-ground)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Dressing
- Unsalted butter, for baking dish
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 bunch scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cornbread Dressing with Dried Fruits and Nuts https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a34575852/cornbread-dressing-with-dried-fruits-and-nuts-recipe/.
- 1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 c. low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. ground thyme
- 2 c. dried apricots, halved
- 1 c. dried cherries
- 1 c. prunes, halved
- 1 lb. cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes and dried (6 to 8 cups)
- 1 loaf French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and dried (about 8 cups)
- 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Homemade Cornbread stuffing with sausage https://www.garnishwithlemon.com/cornbread-stuffing-with-sausage-and-dried-fruit/#recipe
▢1 tablespoon olive oil- ▢8 ounces ground pork sausage
- ▢1 yellow onion, diced
- ▢2 cups sliced mushrooms
- ▢1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ▢½ cup chopped dried apricots
- ▢½ cup dried cranberries
- ▢8 cups baked cornbread, cubed and slightly stale (see notes below)
- ▢1 ½ cups chicken broth, divided
- ▢1 egg, beaten
[Uplinked Sept. 10, 2022]
Ordinary Time 