Louise Rounds taught me how to cook some of the classics of Cajun and Southern cooking and this cornbread dressing recipe  is easily the best I have ever come across.   While it is a rather large recipe, it can easily be halved…after tasting it, you’ll wish you made both pans though!

2 WHOLE CHICKENS
2 LB FRESH GROUND PORK
2 LB GROUND CHUCK
2 cups diced  ONIONS
1 cup diced BELL PEPPER
1 cup diced GREEN ONIONS
1 cup diced CELERY
4 BOXES Jiffy cornbread mix

  1. Boil chickens in a stock pot with water, salt, pepper,  and 1 large cut up onion top. Cook till meat is tender take chickens out and allow to cool.
  2. Debone chickens and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Save chicken broth for recipe.
  3. Cook cornbread according to directions on the box. Crumble in large pieces.
  4. Brown pork and chuck until well done. Take meat out of pot and drain off all fats.
  5. Add vegetables and saute greens until wilted, then add all the meat and cornbread.
  6. Add 6 cups of chicken stock and cook all about 20 minutes.
  7. Stir all together including cornbread, salt and pepper to taste. Do NOT mash.
  8. Put in (2) large 13 x 9 in. pans. Dot with butter. Can be frozen or refrigerated at this point.
  9. When ready to bake pour over about 1 cup of chicken broth or can of Swansons real turkey gravy over each pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in hot oven (350) until hot (at least 1 hour if put in the oven cold). Some like to take the foil off and broil for 10 minutes or so to get the top brown and crispy with the butter.

This recipe is so meaty it is like a cornbread jambalya. We use Jiffy brand cornbread which is a little sweet but just use your own brand if you prefer.