Cornbread Dressing

We don't stuff our bird. We dress it up with yummy cornbread dressing. I love dressing. Daddy loves dressing. Mom really likes it. My husband really doesn't like it. K-bob couldn't get enough of his first taste of dressing this year. However you make it - baked inside the bird or out - everyone has their opinion of the texture and the taste. Some like it wet, some like it dry, some like it crunchy on top. Some like it kind of bland, some like it with lots of sage. So this recipe doesn't have much in the way of measurements; those below are rough guidelines. It's different every year in an attempt to please all the palates at the table.

Cornbread Dressing
1 pan cornbread, crumbled (prepared the day before if possible)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning
salt
pepper
broth

Sauté onion and celery until tender.
Mix onion, celery, cornbread, egg, and seasonings. Add broth so that mixture is thinner than cornbread batter.
Cook, uncovered, at 350º for 30-40 minutes, or until firm in the middle.

We usually boil the turkey neck to make some broth to use for the dressing. You can also pick off the neck meat (yes, you can eat the turkey neck) to add in. My mother-in-law used to cook a whole hen and put the meat in the dressing.

This is such a versatile recipe that it may take a few times to get it just right for your Thanksgiving table. I condone practicing several times a year in order to perfect you recipe. The leftovers work very well as a thickener for turkey or chicken soup if you aren't a fan of thin broth. I even like to eat it cold...