Vicki, I am glad to do so but I am like my grandmother... I don't measure seasoning... I go by look and smell test.
I start this mid-morning -
the day before it is to be served. The ingredients need to sit together over night before the wet ingredients are added and it is baked.
All Amounts are guesstimates LOL .
I usually cook the dressing in the top of the turkey roasting pan (it is almost as deep as the roasting pan..8"-10" deep). If you are using a foil roasting pan for turkey - use same size for the dressing.
Makes enough for about 16-18 people.
Baked Yellow Cornbread
White/Sweet Onions
Celery
Stale Bread/buns/etc
Salt
Pepper
Dried Sage
Chicken/Turkey Broth
Eggs
Butter
Cook up a large 9 X 12 baking dish full using your favorite YELLOW cornbread recipe. This is usually about double to triple the recipe on the box. Allow to cool 1-2 hours.
In a large bowl (I use the Jumbo size Tupperware bowl), tear a loaf of WHITE stale bread into about thumb size pieces. (
Whole wheat bread/buns do not give the right flavor!!) You can use buns or other stale bread types. Leave bowl uncovered.
When cornbread is cool, crumble it into chunks into the bowl with bread.
Chop/dice up 5-6 stalks of celery; dice 2 medium onions; Add to the bowl. Stir all together.
Adding spices is really a guesstimate... so go with what you think your family would like.
I tend to shake them over the bowl of crumbs and stir, add more and stir, then sniff to see if it "smells right"..
2-3 teaspoons or more...Salt and pepper. Sprinkle some over dry mixture then stir and add more; repeat..
making sure most ingredients get a bit of the seasoning. Salt and pepper are needed to add the right flavor.
Sage... (1 oz bottle)... Begin by pouring a small bit of sage in 1 palm then rubbing it between fingers of the other hand and sprinkling it over the top of mixture, stir and add more; continue until all the mixture has a bit of Sage. I usually use at least 1/2 bottle at this stage.
Loosely cover with lid or foil... do not seal down edges.
About every hour or so - lift cover, stir and "smell". It should have a nice 'sage-y' smell. If not, sprinkle on more sage and stir and cover. It usually take 3-4 of these 'stir, smell, add sage' before I think it is 'right'.
As we like sage... I usually end up adding most the rest of the bottle during this part.
Let sit lightly covered overnight.
Chicken/Turkey broth... I actually boil the giblets and the turkey neck in 4-5 Quarts of water for about an hour. I use about a quart or so of this broth for making the dressing and the rest for turkey gravy with chopped giblets. You can use pre-made chicken/turkey broth if you wish.
Melt 2 sticks of butter (8 ozs) in med pan, remove from heat; in separate bowl, beat 4 eggs then mix in about 2 cups of broth; Pour this liquid into pan with melted butter mixing well. You can add another 2 cups of broth to that pan and stir well. Pour the liquid over the dry dressing ingredients in the large bowl stirring so all are moist. You want it to be wet but not runny. If it is still too dry, pour warm water in until it is wet enough.
(ETA: it will stick together without liquid running between clumps.)
Grease the pan for the dressing then pour dressing in, smoothing top with large spoon.
After I take the turkey out of the oven to let it rest before craving, I increase oven temp to 400* F. Bake the dressing for about 1 hour... the top should have some brown tips but mostly golden in color. Insert knife in center to make sure it is done.
Enjoy...
