November 9, 2017

#BLOGLIKECRAZY 9 - THE SEWING GOURMET DOES EARLY THANKSGIVING DAY MEAL PREP...

... preparation for one of the biggest meals of the year can really take a toll on you.  To avoid this I took the advice of one of my former clients to get a jump start by making dishes that are really time consuming ahead of time.  So I've made it a tradition to make 3 of my dishes weeks ahead of time - and freeze them. Almost anything freezes, and most dishes taste better after they have had a chance to marinate.  My cornbread dressing is the first thing that I attack, and I try my best to get it made by Halloween each year.  So while others are celebrating Halloween, I'm making Dressing for my big day.  My recipe involves loads of vegetable chopping that I would rather not have to do on Thanksgiving Day.

There are as many different recipes for this Southern Classic as there are Southern families.  (Here we have dressing; Northerners have stuffing. Used the same but they are two different dishes).  However, the most important part of  ANY dressing recipe is the CORNBREAD. I've played with my cornbread recipe over the years and I think that it's darn near perfect!  So if you don't have a recipe of your own, I'd like to share mine here.  I call it:

EGG/ONION/BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD
2 1/2 Cup of White Lilly (or another brand) Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
1 Large Onion, Chopped
3 Large Eggs, Well Beaten
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk

Mix Cornbread Mix and chopped onion in a medium mixing bowl.   Mix in well beaten eggs.  Add  vegetable oil and buttermilk.  Stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly.  Pour mixture into two greased cast iron skillets.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. 
This cornbread is soooo good, and of course can be used for purposes other than dressing.
To put the dressing together cooks use a variety of different ingredients:  chicken/turkey stock, sauted in butter onion, celery, mushrooms, scallions, cream of chicken/celery/mushroom soup, oysters or sausage and a variety of spices: it all depends on personal likes and dislikes.
Sealed tight after mixing (before baking) and freezer ready.  Enough for Thanksgiving Dinner and several nice Sunday Dinners months away. I freeze the excess up to 4 months.
Bet you've never seen an entire post on Cornbread...

10 comments:

  1. This is an awesome idea Faye! I remember reading about your Thanksgiving prep in another post and loved it! (Wish I had known about it back then!) Before hubby and I became “plant-based” Vegans, Dressing was my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal and let’s not forget the “giblet” gravy!!! (BTW...your cornbread looks AWESOME!)

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    1. Myra a vegetable version of dressing sounds very tasty as well!

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  2. An entire post on cornbread is very worthwhile indeed. Your cornbread recipe is similar to mine except that I don't add onions; I am not a huge fan of little bits of things in my bread. Up North, it's supposed to be dressing if it's finished outside the bird, and stuffing if it's put in the turkey. Of late, our friend Greg has been bringing his sausage dressing and his similar vegetarian version (for his daughter in law). I just made up my menu for 2 weeks last night, and am thinking about posting them. It's always a shock when Thanksgiving falls this early, isn't it? Great idea freezing the dressing in advance; what else do you cook ahead?

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    1. Marjie you explained the Dressing/Stuffing difference exactly! Mine is cooked outside the bird. You know I always love looking at your holiday meal plans and your shopping lists. I find them so exciting!

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  3. I agree with getting started early, but I didn't even think about freezing dishes! I usually start a couple of days before and refrigerate everything, but freezing is so much better. Thanks for the idea!

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    1. So glad you liked the idea Vanessa!

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  4. Love your cornbread post! I like to cook ahead and freeze whatever I can, so I can focus on just the bird the morning of.

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  5. Anonymous11/13/2017

    I made the cornbread recipe today. It is perfect as the base for my dressing. Thanks for the great recipe.
    Tennessee girl....

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    1. Ahhhh, thanks for letting me know Tennessee girl!

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