Traditional Thanksgiving Dressing

I am fortunate that I'm a half-breed; my mother is from Philadelphia and my dad is from Tennessee. Due to this fortunate mixed heritage, I have grown up eating a wide variety of food, including this type of dressing. If you are from the south and are tired of eating "corn meal mush" dressing, I recommend that you try this one on for size. I have modified the recipe from the dressing my mom made in my youth, and it is always the hit of the party at every holiday meal. So - are you ready to be brave and try something new? Give this recipe a try - you won't be disappointed.

5 slices wheat bread

5 slices white bread

½ of a cornbread cooked in a 12-inch cast iron skillet

7 cups chopped celery

6 cups chopped yellow onion

6 Tbsp. Classic olive oil

4 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. dried parsley (I know...it's dried, not fresh. I have a heck of a time getting parsley to grow in my herb garden!)

3 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 1/3 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

2-3 cups of KZFM homemade chicken broth

1 Tbsp.Kosher salt

3/4 Tbsp. Fresh cracked pepper

The evening before you want to serve the dressing, make a buttermilk cornbread from yellow corn meal mix according to the package directions. After it cools, pull out the racks from your oven. (Stay with me here...) Place the racks on your countertop, and place the slices of wheat and white bread on the rack. Break the cornbread into chunks and set it on a rack. The objective here is to stale the bread overnight.

Now, go to bed! We have a big day of cooking ahead tomorrow!

*****The next day...*******

See, now the bread is nicely firm and stale. That's what we are after. In a large skillet, combine the chopped onions and celery with 6 (or so) Tbsp of classic olive oil. (Extra-light olive oil will also work, but under no circumstances us extra-virgin for this!) Turn the stovetop to medium low heat, cover the veggies and sweat them until they are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 -15 minutes. It is critical that the veggies not burn or brown - the flavor from browning will overpower the dressing. Covering the skillet will allow you to do this faster without browning them accidentally. Remove the now tender onions and celery from the heat and allow them to cool.

You do have some KZFM homemade chicken broth made ahead, right?

Replace the racks in your oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, break the slices of bread into approximately 1 inch pieces. Break up the cornbread into the bowl, trying not to turn it into dust in the process; 1 inch pieces would be best. Chop your fresh herbs and add them to the bowl. Add kosher salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste (I estimate my quantities to be 2 tsp. of salt, 1 ½ tsp. of pepper) Now - while the mixture is still dry, fold gently with a large wooden spoon to combine the herbs & seasonings with the bread. Add in the now cooled onions & celery, stir again gently to combine. Slowly drizzle the chicken broth over the bread, stirring occasionally until the bread mixture is moist, but not wet. This is critical - if you soak it with too much broth, it will still be soggy inside even after cooking.

Now, be brave and taste. If you have used store-bought chicken broth (shame on you) you may want to go lightly with the salt until you taste it. Add more herbs and salt & pepper if needed.

Spray a casserole dish with olive oil spray to lubricate and gently press the dressing into the dish. Do not over-pack - you don't want to make a dressing "brick".

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the top layer of the dressing begins to show some slight browning.

Remove carefully and enjoy with your holiday turkey!

You DO have a good turkey gravy recipe, right?

See Kitchen Zen for Men Master Hub at http://hubpages.com/hub/Kitchen-Zen-for-Men-Master-Hub--Recipe-Links-and-Important-Tips for more delicious recipes for fish & game, poultry, breads, pasta and home brewing instructions for mead and wine.