Recipe: Martha's Cornbread-Bacon-and-Date Stuffing

Martha's Cornbread-Bacon-and-Date Stuffing
rec.food.cooking/Martha McLemore

Cornbread recipe. Bake the day before making the stuffing for best results (never lasts a day in my household, though!). Makes 2 ten-inch skillets or one 9X13 pan of cornbread. I think iron skillets make the best crust on cornbread.

2 cups flour, all purpose
2 cups cornmeal (I use yellow, but white is good, too.)
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter (canola or other vegetable oil is fine)

Mix well, but don't over-mix. Pour into well greased/oiled pan(s). Bake for 20-25 minutes in preheated 425 F oven.

To the stale, crumbled cornbread, add the following:

1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup onion, diced small
1/2 celery, diced small
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (flat-leaf is best, IMO)
2 teaspoons finely minced/crushed garlic
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups chicken or turkey broth

Saute the vegetables in the melted butter until the onion and celery are wilted but still tender-crisp. Add with remaining ingredients to the crumbled cornbread. Mix well. Allow to cool before stuffing the turkey. This will easily stuff a 20-25 pound bird.

If you want to serve this as a side dish, add one more cup of broth and 2 well-beaten eggs. Pour into buttered casserole or 9X13 pan, bake at 350F for about 50 minutes.

For a smaller bird (10-18 pounds), I would halve this recipe.