Tuesday Plan

Okay...who is thinking about Thanksgiving already? I am. So are the boys and Tom. He will talk about our Thanksgiving dinner now until the day! I also have a friend (you know who you are) who is cooking her first family invited Thanksgiving dinner. I have told her she will do a great job and that I am here to help. So this is for her, me and everyone else who wants a dish up on Thanksgiving.

My mom, aka Nana, makes chicken dressing for Thanksgiving. Actually she makes it on demand when we go and visit. They live in Alabama so she does have a heads up when we come. It is a known meal that we WILL have. Right mom? I love it so much (notice how I love a lot of things food related? The reason I have now taken up jogging as a hobby) that when I make it I make 2 pans of it. One for us and one for the freezer. This is where the extra one will come in handy right now because you will have one to eat for dinner tonight and one to reheat for your Thanksgiving meal. How is that for help?

So here we go...

First the night before or the morning of, roast 2 small chickens. I put them in a crock pot overnight on low and then in the morning take them out to cool. Pull all the meat off the bones and PUT THE BONES IN A FREEZER BAG IN THE FREEZER FOR STOCK! I mean it!

1. Make 2 pans of cornbread, I do use a cast iron skillet and swear by it but a regular pan can work.
2. When it is cool coarsely crumble them into two casserole dishes.
3. Toast 4 slices of bread or as my mom does use a couple day leftover biscuits, crumble this into the 2 pans evenly divided.
4. Divide meat up between the two casserole dishes.
5. In a skillet with butter slowly brown 2 onions and 4 celery stalks. Divide this up too.
6. Cut up 4 boiled eggs and divide these.
7. Add some poultry seasonings, sage, salt and pepper as you like it, and I like a lot of it!
8. In a bowl combine( I grimace as I type this next ingredient but his time it is okay) 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, a can of milk. Mix with your hands everything in the casserole dishes. Add the milk mixture and slowly fluff it through. Yes you can do that! If it is not moist enough add chicken broth, it will dry as it cooks so don't be shy with it but don't let it get soupy.
9. Cover and bake one of them at 375 for 45 minutes.

Now don't cook the second one, cover it will foil and stick it in the freezer. On Thanksgiving day put it straight in the oven for about an hour or until hot.

Don't forget we are doing black bean and rice soup tomorrow, soak your beans overnight tonight.