Crockpot chicken and dressing instead of turkey? And how about squash casserole?

 

My family isn’t crazy about turkey, but they do like the dressing (stuffing to those of you not in the South) that goes with it. Years ago, while working in Dresden, Tennessee, a co-worker and friend told me about crockpot chicken and dressing. The recipe is in The Iris Festival cookbook (the Iris Festival is an annual spring event in Dresden, and it is a week packed with activities!). Thank you, David and Amy, for the cookbook, I love it! In 2000, my husband’s grandmother, who lived to be 100 and passed away in 2016, compiled some of her favorite recipes in a cookbook for Christmas presents for her numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of my favorites of hers is a squash casserole recipe. Interested? Here they are.

Crockpot chicken and dressing: (submitted by M. Bowers of Martin, Tennessee, some directions are my words, not hers)

1 large cornbread (use 3 cups of cornmeal to make the cornbread–if you need a cornbread recipe email me at authorpamharris@gmail.com–and don’t use Jiffy cornbread mix, makes it too sweet in my opinion)

1 tablespoon sage

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

6 ribs celery, chopped (I omit this because my family doesn’t like celery)

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 stick butter or margarine

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth

3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

 

Cook chopped onion and celery in butter, covered, in a microwave for 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes. (I use the stove top, just cook on medium heat until onion is clear, stirring frequently) Crumble cornbread in a large bowl and add all ingredients and mix gently. Pour into greased 4 1/2 quart crockpot and cook on high for one hour. Stir after 30 minutes. After one hour on high, reduce heat to low for three hours. Serve moist. No gravy needed. Serves a large crowd.

Squash casserole:

4 or 5 yellow squash, cooked with one cut-up onion (not chopped, larger pieces). Cook until tender and drain. You can use fresh or a large frozen package of squash. I have never used zucchini, but I think that would work too.

1 cup of crumbled cornbread

1 can cream of mushroom soup (her recipe calls for one cup, but I always use one can)

1 egg

1 cup grated cheese (I always use Velveeta, and I don’t grate it. I just cut up small chunks of it, 1/2 pound.)

1 tablespoon butter

Mix all ingredients except the cheese. Pour half the mixture in a small casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Add layer of the cheese. Add rest of the mixture. Top with more cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes (I usually bake for 30 minutes, but make sure the top doesn’t burn.)

More about Mawmaw’s cookbook in a future post. What a great Christmas gift, a part of her that is always with us!