TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

Remember this? This was my idea for the next several TMTT.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is a blog carnival that is hosted by my blogger-friend, Lisa. She and her sister put together a way for us bloggers to share tips, recipes and other kitchen info. It is such fun. I hope you will join us.

For my entry, I will do 2 recipes.

We have 30 days, as I type this, until Thanksgiving. That's right. Look to the left of my blog. Right there on the sidebar....30 days until THE day of turkey. Except by the time most of you read this, it will be 29. EEK! You should all be in full-holiday swing by now. If not...you need to get crackin'!

What should you have done this week?

You should have your guests invited to your feast and your menu planned. Started rounding up your recipes and get ready to make your grocery list. Do all that unpleasant cleaning that nobody really sees, but makes a huge difference to you.

OK, sorry....off my soapbox and putting on my apron~

Today's recipes are:

Cornbread Dressing and Southwestern Cornbread Dressing

This first recipe is one that has been used by my family for years. But a few years ago, we tried this recipe and now it is the keeper. We like the texture a bit better...and the flavor can't be beat. The words "dressing" and "stuffing" can be used interchangeably, depending on where you are from. I call it dressing 'cause I don't cram it up a.......sorry.....not appropriate conversation for the table. I have just always called it dressing. The ingredients can be the same. I don't DO stuffing (literally) of the bird. I do a casserole dish of dressing.

CORNBREAD DRESSING:

2 8-inch pans of cornbread

10 biscuits

2 large onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped (or celery flakes...1 Tbsp.)

6 eggs

5 cups chicken broth

sage, salt, pepper to taste

Crumble breads in large pan (I do this a few nights before) and let them "stale" a bit. You want them dry.

On Turkey day~to the bread add onions, celery and raw eggs. Moisten with chicken broth and stir until well blended. Add sage, salt and pepper to taste. Pour into 9" x 13" baking pan.

Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes

SOUTHWESTERN CORNBREAD DRESSING:

1 pound chorizo (Mexican sausage)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 large clove garlic, minced or put through garlic press
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed and minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
10 to 12 cups cornbread crumbs (see recipe below)
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen/thawed)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups chicken broth, or more
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Cornbread: (personally, I used Jiffy :) )

2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons bacon drippings

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a 9x13-inch pan, melt the bacon drippings while the oven is preheating. Once melted and hot, sprinkle a thin layer of corn meal in the bottom of the pan and return it to the oven to brown for a few minutes. Mix together the buttermilk, baking soda, baking power, salt and eggs. Add the cornmeal, and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour the batter into it (it should sizzle). Bake until lightly brown and cornbread starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the cornbread a day or 2 before you intend to make your dressing. Leave it out, uncovered, overnight.

For the Dressing, preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large skillet, saute the chorizo in the olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. (the chorizo I use is not the "bulkier" kind that you can dice up. I just remove the casing and cook it.) Remove the chorizo from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, poblano, jalapeno and garlic to the skillet, and saute until onion just begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add chili powder, oregano and cumin, reduce heat, and stir to combine.

Crumble the cornbread into a large baking dish or pan.

Combine the vegetable mixture, chorizo, corn and cilantro with the crumbs, and stir well.

Stir the beaten eggs and chicken broth into the cornbread mixture, and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and stir dressing down from the sides of the pan so that it cooks uniformly. Check the seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste. Return pan to oven and cook for 15 minutes more.

Either of these recipes will make you want to slap your momma.....I do not recommend this at the holiday table.

Enjoy!