Southern Rice Dressing

Cheri Clotiaux Stringer (originally from 1999 Southern Living Annual Recipes)

Yield: 12 servings

I made this for the first time for the Austin Stringer family’s Christmas gathering this year. It’s a lot of trouble, but Bill says it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten! I’ve copied the recipe exactly as it’s written in the 1999 Southern Living Annual Recipes, but I made a few modifications which are listed at the end of the recipe. (Dec 2004)

2 garlic bulbs

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups cooked regular rice*

1 recipe Basic Cornbread, crumbled (recipe below)

1 (16oz) pkg ground pork sausage**

3 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium red or green bell pepper, diced***

1 large carrot, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh (or 1-2 tsp rubbed sage)****

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cups chicken broth

Basic Cornbread

2 cups self-rising buttermilk white cornmeal mix

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk 

Cornbread: Heat a well-greased 9-inch ovenproof skillet at 450˚F for 5 minutes. Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and pour into hot skillet. Bake at 450˚F for 20 minutes or until golden. 

Dressing: Cut off pointed ends of garlic bulbs; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Fold foil to seal. Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes; cool. Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves into large bowl. Add cooked rice and the crumbled cornbread.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain sausage on paper towels and wipe skillet clean.

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and carrot, sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

Stir sausage, vegetable, parsley and next 4 ingredients into rice mixture. Add broth, stir to moisten. Spoon into lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bake, covered at 350˚F for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

*I cook 2 cups of a mixed variety of brown rices to substitute the regular rice. 

**I use Jimmy Dean’s Hot pork sausage. It added a real flavor punch!

***I use a red bell pepper — it looks beautiful along with the color of the carrots.

****I use fresh sage — it makes a real difference because rather than tasting the sage in every bite, you get the flavor intermittenly as you eat each bite (you will be eating quite a few bites of this, I can guarantee!).