Recently I took my mom on a little road trip to Louisiana so she could go to a casino and play some slot machines. Years ago we took this same trip and came across this restaurant, The Smokehouse, in the middle of Henderson, Texas. When we stopped that time I remember we missed their chicken and cornbread dressing dish and that has stuck with me ever since! I just knew it would be so creamy and delicious.
Well, I finally found the place again and was there in time to have their specialty dish. And oh, I was not disappointed. My mom and I shared a plate of it and we ate the entire thing. If only we weren’t driving five hours home, I would have taken a nap afterwards.
For my birthday weekend, I knew I wanted to make this dish since it is a favorite. And I can’t get enough of cornbread dressing. Serve it with a dollop of cranberry sauce on top of the chicken and dressing, and you have the perfect comfort dish.
This is a small enough dish that it can serve two with leftovers or four people. But if you’re like me, you want leftovers so just share it with one other person so there is plenty left to satisfy your cravings.
Chicken & Dressing for Two
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 c milk
2 Tbsp margarine
1/2 c white onion, finely diced
1/2 c celery, finely diced
1 – 10.5 oz can Cream of chicken
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 – 14.5 oz can Chicken Broth
Shredded chicken from 1 chicken leg quarter and 1 drumstick from a cooked Rotisserie chicken
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Jiffy cornbread according to package instructions, using eggs and milk. Prepare in a small baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Note: you can make the cornbread the day before. If not, let cool before making dressing.
Heat sauté pan to medium heat. Add butter to pan and let melt. Add onions and celery. Sauté until onions become translucent, 7-10 minutes. While onions and celery are cooking, add about 2 tablespoons of chicken stock to pan to enhance flavor.
Crumble cooled cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add onions and celery mixture. Season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
Add cream of chicken and 1 cup of chicken broth. Mix together. Continue to add chicken broth until cornbread mixture is moist but not too runny. You want it moist enough that it will keep the moisture while it cooks.
Taste to ensure cornbread is seasoned to your liking. If not, add more seasonings being careful not to add too much poultry seasoning. Once cornbread is to your liking, add chicken and toss together.
Place in three individual casserole dishes or small baking dish. Cover with foil. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If cornbread is too moist when finished cooking, take off foil and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Serve with brown gravy and cranberry sauce.
