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Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Thursday, February 6, 2014

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

Some days are just like *that*, you know? You wander around your kitchen hoping something...anything.... will jump out of the pantry and say "make me, make me!!" And sometimes, when the wind blows just right and all the stars align, it happens. Things come together and a wonderful dish is born. I opened my freezer and saw some uncooked, leftover cornbread dressing from Thanksgiving and some cooked, boned chicken just waiting to meet. You certainly don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to have leftover dressing. Make it fresh for this dish. This is IT Guy's grandmother's dressing recipe and it's so simple to prepare. A rotisserie chicken...one of my BFF's...is perfect to use in this, too. A great meal for a winter's day.

Chicken and Dressing Casserole



3 cups cooked chicken, large diced ~ set aside (you can cook a couple of large chicken breasts for this or use a rotisserie chicken)

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup oil
1 eggs
1 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together.  Add oil, milk and eggs and stir well to combine. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until golden brown and done in the center.  Crumble when cool.

3 cups Bisquick
1 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine Bisquick and milk. Drop by large spoonfuls into a 9x13 greased pan. Dough will all come together when it’s baked to resemble a lumpy cake. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and done in the center. Crumble when cool.

In a large skillet, sauté the following in some butter or olive oil:

3/4 cups chopped celery
3/4 cups diced onion
3 hard boiled eggs ~ grated
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
1 32-ounce can chicken broth

Sauté the celery and onion in a little butter until tender.

In a VERY large bowl, mix together the breads and sauteed veggies.  Add grated hard boiled eggs, 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (more to taste), and salt and pepper. Pour in enough chicken broth to be wet but not soupy and stir well. 

Transfer half of the dressing to a greased 9x13 inch pan. About 1 inch thick.

Sprinkle cooked, diced chicken on top.

Top with remaining dressing...again about 1 inch thick.

Bake, covered at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes until lightly browned on top and set in the middle. 

*NOTE: If you feel like you have too much dressing, you can always freeze it, UNBAKED. I put mine in Ziploc freezer bags and freeze them lying flat. Then you have some for next time!!

Here's the stuff. The amounts you see here are for a double batch but you will use the amounts listed in the above recipe.

Here's the stuff. The amounts you 
see here are for a double batch but 
you will use the amounts listed in the above recipe.


Cook up your cornbread and biscuits.
Cook up your cornbread and biscuits.


Crumble the bread in a large bowl.
Crumble the bread in a large bowl.


Saute the veggies.
Saute the veggies.


In the bowl with the crumbled bread, add the hard boiled grated eggs, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper.
In the bowl with the crumbled bread, 
add the hard boiled grated eggs, poultry
seasoning and salt and pepper.


Then pour in enough chicken broth to make the dressing really wet but not soupy.
Then pour in enough chicken broth 
to make the dressing really wet but not soupy.


Spread half of the UNCOOKED dressing in the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle with chicken.
Spread half of the UNCOOKED 
dressing in the bottom of your pan. 
Sprinkle with chicken.


Layer the remaining dressing on top of the chicken.
Layer the remaining dressing on top of the chicken.


Bake and eat!
Bake and eat!