Cornbread Dressing with Smoked Bacon and Pecans From Texas Recipes

To contact us Click HERE

1/2 cup pecan halves
4 ounces smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 green onions, chopped
Classic Cornbread, crumbled (recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven.

Increase oven temperature to 375°.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes. (Do not crisp.) Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.

Sauté diced onion and next 2 ingredients in hot drippings 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in green onions; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add bacon, cornbread, and next 3 ingredients. Stir together melted butter and broth, and stir into cornbread mixture. Add salt and pepper. Fold in pecans.

Spoon dressing into a buttered, shallow 2-qt. baking dish; cover with aluminum foil.

Bake, covered, at 375° for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, and uncover.

Transfer oven rack to highest position. Bake dressing, uncovered, 12 minutes or until top is crusty.


Classic Cornbread

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
3 tablespoons warm bacon drippings, divided
1 1/2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place 1 Tbsp. melted butter and 1 Tbsp. bacon drippings in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet; heat in oven 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift together cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together egg and both milks; whisk into cornmeal mixture just until combined.

Whisk in remaining 3 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. drippings. Pour into hot skillet.

Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan, and serve. Or cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour).