9 to 12 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
Pre-baked cornbread (Link to recipe is below)
1- and 1/2-pounds chicken gizzards
1- and 1/2-pounds chicken thighs
1/2-pound diced ham
1/2 or 1 pound sausage (Optional)
Salted butter
Seasonings
1 yellow onion
Celery
Green bell pepper
Garlic
Fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s poultry magic
Dried sage
Dried thyme
Tools you’ll need
7-quart slow cooker
9 by 13-inch-deep dish glass pan
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop half of a yellow onion, 3 ribs celery, half of a green bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic until minced, 1/2- or 1-ounce fresh parsley until mined. Make sure you rinse off your celery, green bell pepper and parsley before chopping.
Diced ham
Step 2- If your diced ham is in large chunks cut it into small pieces with a knife.
Chicken thighs 1
Step 3- Rinse off chicken thighs off with cold water. Trim off any excessive skin and fat off of the chicken thighs.
Step 4- Place the chicken thighs into a medium-sized bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon chef Paul’s poultry magic. Coat the seasonings onto the chicken thighs using your hands.
Chicken stock
Step 5- Lightly spread butter onto a large, heated saucepan. Add the chicken thighs and let sear for 3 minutes on each side. Add 5 cups water, 1/8 cup chopped yellow onion, 1/8 cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 3 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning. Stir all ingredients together. Cover the saucepan with a lid. Let simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 6- Remove chicken thighs from the saucepan and place onto a serving dish to cool. Cover your saucepan once again and let simmer for 15 additional minutes. After the cooking time has ended, turn your fire off and let the stock cool for 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the stock into a mesh strainer with a medium-sized bowl underneath it. Discard the contents left in the mesh strainer. Once done you should have 2 cups chicken stock.
Chicken thighs 2
Step 7- Remove the skin and the meat off of the bones of the chicken thighs. Chop the chicken thigh meat into small bite-sized pieces.
Chicken gizzards 1
Step 7- Place the chicken gizzards into a strainer. Rinse the chicken gizzards off with cold water. Trim off any excessive fat off the chicken gizzards. Caution if some of the chicken gizzards may have this greenish yellow skin on them. If so, peel the skin off of the chicken gizzard with your fingers. Carefully inspect all chicken gizzards.
Chicken broth
Set your slow cooker to high.
Step 8- Add 3 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon chef Paul’s poultry magic, 1/8 cup chopped yellow onion, 1/8 cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 3 bay leaves into slow cooker base. Stir all ingredients together. Add chicken gizzards and stir. Cover the base of your slow cooker with a lid. Let simmer for 8 hours.
Step 9- Once the cooking time has ended, let the chicken broth cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Add chicken broth with the chicken gizzards into a mesh strainer with a medium-sized bowl underneath it. Remove the bay leaves. Remove the mesh strainer with the chicken gizzards in it and set aside. Once done you should have 2 cups chicken broth.
Chicken gizzards 2
Step 10- Chop the cooked chicken gizzards into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Cornbread
Step 11- Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl. Once done you should have 8 and 1/2 cups (2 pounds and 4 ounces in weight) crumbed cornbread.
Assembling the cornbread
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 12- Add 5 tablespoons cubed salted butter, 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion, 2/3 cup chopped celery, and 2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper into a heated 8-quart pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let sauté for 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 13- Add 2 cloves pressed garlic, chopped chicken gizzards, chopped chicken thigh meat, 8 ounces diced ham, Stir all ingredients together. Let sauté for 1 minute.
Step 14- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon Chef Paul’s poultry magic, 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Let sauté for 1 minute.
Step 15- Add half of the crumbled cornbread and stir well. Add the next half of crumbled cornbread and stir really well.
Step 16- Add 1 and 1/2 or 2 cups chicken stock and 1 and 1/2 or 2 cups chicken broth and stir until the cornbread is completely moist.
Baking the dressing
Lightly spread softened salted butter around the bottom and sides of your baking pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 17- Add prepared cornbread dressing into baking pan. Spread the dressing around your baking pan as evenly as possible with a spatula. Melt 3 tablespoons salted butter. Brush butter on top of the dressing using a pastry brush. Lightly sprinkle rubbed sage and dried thyme on top of the dressing. You could also lightly sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the dressing as well.
Step 18- Place into a preheated 350-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Once done remove the dressing from the oven. Let the dressing cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving. For best results serve the dressing the next day so the flavors can settle and increase overnight.
YouTube instructional video.
