Fabulous Cornbread Dressing {that happens to be gluten free}

12 slices GF multigrain bread, oven dried (will explain below)

1 box of GF cornbread mix made, and crumbled

*will need 1 egg, 1/3 oil, 1c milk or buttermilk

2c crushed GF crackers

1 1/2t Penzey’s Bouquet Garni *or* poultry seasoning

Quick shake of nutmeg.

2 sweet onions diced

2c diced celery

4T butter

1/2t salt

1 can of corn, drained (optional)

(I prefer using 1 1/2c Trader Joe’s frozen fire roasted corn, but I didn’t use corn this go, because I forgot, and I’m bitter about it, but it’s still delicious)

7c chicken stock (I prefer half unsalted, half salted, you’ll need two cartons anyway)

5 eggs, beaten

These are the brands I use for this. Basically the whole loaf of bread, minus two slices, because I needed a sandwich.

4T olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Do in advance:

Place 12 slices of GF bread on a cookie sheet, touching but not overlapping.

Place oven on “warm” or lowest setting, and let them become completely dried out all the way through. Like giant croutons.

Put all the slices in a ziplock and beat ‘em until they are all about the size of actual croutons. I use a meat mallet and release “family get-together” anxiety.

I use Kroger Simple Truth Gluten Free Cornbread Mix, I sub buttermilk for milk, because I’m obsessed. But you can use whole milk if it’s what you got. 

Bake as directed, allow to cool, crumble into large chunks. 

Crush your crackers, I just do it by hand as I go, but you can put them in a bag and smash to get more anger out. S’fine. I use Milton’s Crispy Sea Salt Baked Crackers

Put everything in your largest mixing bowl and toss in your seasoning, wait to use salt and pepper.

At this point you can bag it up and wait to make the rest when you have time, but let’s keep this going…

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter in large pan on medium heat, sauté onions and celery with 1/2t until translucent. 

*PAUSE FOR UNSOLICITED ADVICE* 

Y’all, use the celery heart. The middle pieces. Use that first and then seen what you need of the outer ones to make 2 cups worth. And use those middle leaves (not the top ones that were exposed) Chop ‘em all up together. Those middle leaves have SO much flavor! Carry on…

Pour cooked veggies into bread mixture, toss all together.

Pour in your chicken stock and stir all together. It’s kinda weird to eat wet bread, but taste it at this point to see how much salt and pepper are needed. I like pepper, so I use a good bit. You have salt coming in from the crackers, bread, chicken stock, butter if you use salted (I don’t), and the salt from the veggies, so you may not need any at all. 

Once seasoned to your liking, add eggs and olive oil. 

*If you want to use melted butter in place of olive oil, you can. I use olive oil because I make this in advance and freeze it. The olive oil helps it from drying out. 

I have two Thanksgivings this year, so this filled two 9x9 disposable casserole pans. 

I took a bite before I froze them for next week. Say something.

Spray your pans, bake 45-60 minutes (depends on how deep the dressing pan is), until middle is just set, and edges are just browning. 

Absolutely no one will care that this is gluten free. Don’t tell ‘em. They will not know. And it’s just so so delicious.

Enjoy!