This easy version of chicken and dressing tastes just like grandma used to make! Savory and flavorful – it’s a great family dinner anytime! But it’s also a great option for holidays if you’re having a smaller gathering and don’t want to fix a whole turkey.

People use the term game-changer a lot. But I really do think it applies to this dish, especially if you’re fixing this one for a holiday meal. Those are the types of meals where you have to really plan out your oven usage to get all those casseroles, desserts or dinner rolls baked so that you have everything ready at the same time. This recipe takes one of those holiday must-haves and gives you a way to prepare it ahead of time without taking up any of your oven space at all right before the meal!

Honestly the most difficult part of this recipe is fixing your cornbread ahead of time. any cornbread recipe will do. You can even use a box mix for cornbread if you like. However, I do tend to think this dish is best as a savory one, so you’ll want to check any mix you use to make sure you’re not going to get a sweet cornbread! You’ll prepare the cornbread a day or two ahead of time and let it dry out. Once you’ve done that, everything else is just a matter of throwing the ingredients together and dumping them in the crock pot!

What if I just want the dressing?

If you simply want this to be a side dish of dressing, rather than a main dish of chicken & dressing, it’s so simple to do that! Just eliminate the chicken and put everything else together, still baking your cornbread ahead of time, and you’ll have a wonderfully delicious crock pot full of dressing that tastes so much like grandma used to make!

Can I add more veggies like celery?

Yes! If you are a celery fan and love it chopped up in your homemade dressing, just simply add it to your liking. I would probably dice it in smaller chunks because that’s what I would prefer, but if you like big fat celery chunks in your dressing – go for it!

What if I want boiled eggs in mine?

That’s a simple add as well. If you tend to like chunks of boiled eggs in your dressing, then boil 2-3 eggs and put them in it!

Everyone does seem to have a little different of what they like in their dressing, so you can take the basics of this recipe and tailor it to what you and yours prefer!

Extra! Fried Okra

The addition of one simple ingredient gives this fried okra just a little extra zip. Your taste buds are going to love this one!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Equipment

1 Large Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups frozen, breaded okra
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 tsp white vinegar

Instructions

Pour oil into cast iron skillet and turn on medium/high heat.
Once the oil is hot, throw one piece of okra into it and if it sizzles, go ahead and put the rest of the okray into skillet.
Lightly salt the okra.
Add your white vinegar in splashes on top of the okra around the skillet.
Continue to cook until okra starts to brown on the bottom side (about 10 minutes). Then turn okra over.
Allow to cook until completely crispy and lightly browned all over. This will take a few minutes.
Drain okra out of pan and place in bowl that is lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Eat and enjoy while hot!