Recipe courtesy of Hazel Smith

Hazel Smith's Chicken Dressing Casserole

Getting reviews...
  • Level: Advanced
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Cornbread:

Giblet Gravy:

Hazel's Chutney:

Directions

  1. Place whole chicken in deep pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until 'fork tender', about 2 1/2 hours.
  2. Hold chicken in broth until completely cooled. Remove chicken from broth, reserving broth. Remove meat from bones and chop, discarding skin. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and toast (or biscuits). Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to mixture.
  5. In a large skillet, saute onions and celery in butter until translucent. Add to bread mixture.
  6. In a separate small bowl, combine beaten eggs, dried sage, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir into bread mixture.
  7. Add enough chicken broth to create a moist consistency.
  8. Grease a 9 1/2-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish with butter. Evenly spread 1 cup dressing mixture in the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of chicken. Top with remainder of dressing. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  9. Place a portion of the chicken dressing casserole on each plate. Ladle the Giblet Gravy over the dressing. Serve with chutney, hot mashed potatoes and green beans.

Cornbread:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet in the oven with 1/3 cup shortening to melt. When shortening is melted, remove skillet from oven.
  3. Combine cornmeal and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add melted shortening to batter, stirring quickly. Pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
  4. Let cool and then crumble.

Giblet Gravy:

  1. Boil liver, gizzards, and heart in a large pot of simmering water for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. Drain, chop, and reserve giblets.
  2. Melt shortening in a frying pan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring until light brown, about the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add giblets and boiled eggs and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm.

Hazel's Chutney:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve.