Hazel Smith's Chicken Dressing Casserole

Ingredients

    * 1 (3 1/2) pound chicken (fryer is OK)

    * Salt

    * 1 recipe Cornbread, recipe follows

    * 1/2 loaf white bread (7 slices) toasted, cooled, and crumbled or 5 or 6 leftover biscuits

    * 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

    * 2 large onions, chopped

    * 2 ribs celery, chopped

    * 1/4 pound butter

    * 2 eggs, beaten

    * 3 tablespoons dried sage or poultry seasoning

    * 1 teaspoon salt

    * 1 teaspoon pepper

    * 1 teaspoon vinegar

    * Giblet Gravy, recipe follows

    * Hazel's Chutney, recipe follows

Directions

Place whole chicken in deep pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until 'fork tender', about 2 1/2 hours.  Hold chicken in broth until completely cooled. Remove chicken from broth, reserving broth. Remove meat from bones and chop, discarding skin. Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and toast (or biscuits). Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to mixture.  In a large skillet, saute onions and celery in butter until translucent. Add to bread mixture.  In a separate small bowl, combine beaten eggs, dried sage, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir into bread mixture.  Add enough chicken broth to create a moist consistency.

Grease a 9 1/2-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish with butter. Evenly spread 1 cup dressing mixture in the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of chicken. Top with remainder of dressing. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Place a portion of the chicken dressing casserole on each plate. Ladle the Giblet Gravy over the dressing. Serve with chutney, hot mashed potatoes and green beans.

Giblet Gravy:

Liver, gizzards and heart, from 1 chicken

2 tablespoons shortening

1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 to 2 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced

Boil liver, gizzards, and heart in a large pot of simmering water for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. Drain, chop, and reserve giblets.  Melt shortening in a frying pan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring until light brown, about the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add giblets and boiled eggs and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm.

Cornbread:

1/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal (do not add sugar)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat a cast iron skillet in the oven with 1/3 cup shortening to melt. When shortening is melted, remove skillet from oven.  Combine cornmeal and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add melted shortening to batter, stirring quickly. Pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool and then crumble.

Hazel's Chutney:

1 can whole cranberry sauce

1 small can crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped celery

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve.