Frans Eggplant Cornbread Dressing Recipes

FRAN'S EGGPLANT CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and set aside.
• Microwave eggplant until soft. Perhaps 6 minutes. When done, mash to a pulp.
• Fry the onion in a little butter until soft and translucent.
• Crumble the cornbread into coarse crumbs.
• Combine eggplant, onion, butter and cornbread.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until the casserole is "set:" in the middle. ("Set" means a knife inserted in the middle of the casserole comes out clean, but not so well done that the casserole is dry.).
• This is a very forgiving recipe. Instead of measuring out 2 cups of cornbread crumbs, I usually just crumble up an 8x8 pan of fresh cornbread. You want the mixture to be wet enough to wet all the cornbread crumbs, but not so wet that it won't "set up." If it seems a little dry before baking, add just a little chicken broth or water.
• I have also used yellow squash or zucchini in place of the eggplant. The prep time can be reduced by using frozen onions in place of fresh. Also, I am just really slow at prep!

EGGPLANT CUPS WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants into 1-inch chunks. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or teaspoon measure to form small cups, making sure not to go all the way through the bottom. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the cups, scooped side up, onto the sheet pan and lightly spray them with cooking spray. Season them with salt and pepper. Bake the cups until they are just softened but not collapsed, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the eggplant cups are baking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a fork, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the corn muffin crumbles, broth, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Fill the eggplant cups with the sausage mixture. Transfer to platter and garnished with chopped chives, if desired.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Spread the Skillet Cornbread and French bread cubes out on 2 baking sheets and let them dry for about 24 hours until totally crisp. Once dry, transfer the cubes to a large mixing bowl and toss to mix them up a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Warm up a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. When it's melted, add the celery, carrots and onions, and cook for a few minutes until the onions are almost translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the rosemary, thyme, sage and turmeric. Gradually ladle the broth mixture into the bread, tossing lightly as you go. Keep gradually adding the broth mixture, tasting as you go and adding more seasoning and herbs if needed. Add salt carefully. You don't want to over salt your stuffing. If the mixture is not quite moist enough, add a bit more chicken broth and stir. Stir in the fresh parsley.
• Place the dressing in a rectangular baking dish and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the shortening in a cast-iron skillet. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk and egg until fully combined. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until well combined. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup melted shortening and add to the batter, stirring constantly. Pour into the hot skillet, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

MAMA'S SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x13-inch baking dishes.
• Combine cornbread and stale bread cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pour onion mixture over the cornbread mixture. Add turkey broth, chopped turkey, soup, giblets, hard-cooked eggs, and flour. Mix so that all the cornbread is wet. Mix in parsley, sage, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Add beaten eggs. Mixture should be "soupy." Pour mixture evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and set, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

EGGPLANT DRESSING

Steps:

• 1. Cook ground hamburger meat-use a 92/8 mixture drain any fat, add garlic powder, S & P, and chopped bell pepper, and onion cook on low till onion wilted.
• 2. Peel eggplant, slice and cut each slice into 1" cubes.
• 3. Add eggplant to meat mixture, turn up heat, put lid on so eggplant will steam. Each time you check mash down eggplant with back of spoon. Continue until eggplant is tender and mixes in with meat mixture. This takes about 45 minutes.
• 4. Cook rice according to package directions.
• 5. Stir in cooked rice to mixture and heat so its hot through and through.
• * Cooking time for recipe maybe a little bit more.

OVERNIGHT SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir together buttermilk and 2 eggs in a separate bowl; add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour cornbread batter into the skillet.
• Place skillet into the oven and bake until cornbread is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn oven off.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and celery; saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Crumble cooled cornbread into a large roasting pan. Add onion-celery mixture, 1 can chicken broth, croutons, hard-boiled eggs, pepper, and sage. Cover and place in the refrigerator, 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove dressing from the refrigerator. Stir in remaining 4 eggs and 3 1/2 cans chicken broth.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 1/2 hours.