Southern Baked Dressing

Dressing isn't just for turkey day. In the South, a pan of baked dressing is often turned into a main dish by adding a layer of shredded chicken between the top and bottom layers of stuffing before baking. It has onions, plenty of celery, often diced green bell pepper. It frequently contains chopped hard-cooked eggs or is served with a gravy including chopped hard-cooked eggs. A roast chicken or pork chops might be the traditional meat offered, but many people prepare it all by itself.

Vegetarians can substitute shredded roast tofu or unchicken seitan/gluten for the chicken.

For best flavor, use chicken or vegetable broth, not water for the liquid, and brown the onions and celery beautifully golden before adding to the mix. It takes about 5 quarts of gravy to complement 50 servings.

For 48-50 servings
4 9x13 buttered casseroles or two 12x20 steam table pans
45-60 minutes at 375 degrees.

Southern Baked Dressing
  48 servings 100 servings
Onions, chopped 5 cups 10 cups
Celery, chopped
with tops and leaves		 6 cups
(3 bunches)		 10 cups
(5 bunches)
Bell peppers, chopped 3 cups 6 cups
Garlic, crushed 3 cloves 5 cloves
Red pepper or cayenne 1 teaspoon 2 teaspoons
Butter, margarine
or chicken fat		 1 1/2 cups 2 1/2 cups
Broth 2 1/4 quarts 4 1/2 quarts
Beaten eggs 2 cups
(about 10 med)		 4 cups
(about 20 med)
Salt 2 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons
Pepper 1 teaspoon 2 teaspoons
Poultry seasoning
thyme, sage		 2 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons
Diced/crumbled
cornbread
day old		 5 quarts
(3 pounds)		 10 quarts
(6 pounds)
Diced white bread
day old
no crusts		 5 quarts
(2 pounds)		 10 quarts
(4 pounds)
Parsley, chopped 2 cups 4 cups
Eggs, hard-cooked
chopped		 18 36

Brown beautifully golden, the onions, celery, and green peppers, in fat/butter or oil.

Beat the onion mixture and fat, beaten egg, and seasonings into the broth, taste for seasoning. Cool to warm (for safety, don't take more than a half hour).

Mix the two bread cubes in a roasting pan or other large container. Stir in the chopped parsley and the chopped hard-cooked egg or substitution below. Pour on the broth mix, using enough to moisten thoroughly but not to leave wet or heavy. Put the dressing into pans, pack lightly, then cover. May be refrigerated immediately until ready to bake, or baked at once. Don't leave meat broths at room temperature.
Substitution: You may substitute 2-3 pounds chopped cooked giblets, chopped ham, browned pork sausage or soysage, cooked mushrooms, or cooked corn for the chopped egg.

Turn on the oven to preheat. Bake stuffing for 50 minutes in buttered pans in a preheated oven at 375 degrees.

Yield note: A 20 pound turkey yields 8 pounds of meat and requires stuffing using about 6 pounds of bread. You will need about 8 pounds of cooked shredded meat to make the layered main dish dressing in each 50 serving recipe.