Chicken-n-Dressing

This is a recipe my mother taught me how to make. She learned it from her mom. I'm sure it has changed over the years, but the basics are the same. I doubt my grandmother used crackers or breadcrumbs, she always had homemade biscuits on hand. Our family enjoys it, and it makes me think of grandma's house when I make it.

—Michelle Faulkenberry (Panda Express)

chicken-n-dressingmedium whole chicken, cooked and pulled
strained chicken stock (celery, carrots, quartered onions with skin, salt and pepper to taste)
1/2 pan leftover cornbread (more if needed)
1/2 pack crackers, crushed
1 cup bread crumbs
6 slices toasted bread, crumbled (or 2-3 leftover biscuits)
1 onion, diced
2-3 Tablespoons dried celery (or to taste)
1-2 Tablespoons sage (or to taste)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 stick butter
5 eggs

Notes: You can do this all in one day, but I usually make the cornbread and cook, pull the chicken, and strain and save the stock the day before.

Number of servings: approximately 12

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Cook onion and dried celery until onions are done.
  3. Fill a 9" by 13" pan about 2/3 of the way with the following:
    • Half of the pulled chicken (you can always add more later)
    • Onion and celery mixture
    • Cornbread, crackers, breadcrumbs, and toast/biscuits
    • Sage, salt, and pepper
  4. Pour strained stock in the pan and mix.
  5. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
  6. Add eggs and mix well.
  7. Add more stock so that the mixture is soupy (it will thicken up as it cooks). Don't fill all the way to the top as the mixture will rise a little.
  8. Add sliced butter on top (do not mix).
  9. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour until brown on top.