Paula Deen’s Thanksgiving Southern Cornbread Stuffing
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Cornbread, recipe follows
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
5 eggs, beaten   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines, and mix together and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour Sauteed mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning, and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.
Cornbread:
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. To serve, cut into desired squares and serve with butter. Yield: 6 to 8 servings