Corn Bread Dressing with Gravy

For the cornbread

• 1

  Preheat oven to 500°F. Melt the Crisco in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

• 2

  Meanwhile, combine cornmeal mix, raw egg, and buttermilk in a mixing bowl and stir until it reaches the consistency of pancake batter. Add melted Crisco to cornmeal mixture and stir again. Sprinkle a little dry cornmeal in the skillet and pour batter on top.

• 3

  Bake corn bread for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool corn bread in pan on rack. Cool completely, cover, and store at room temperature.

For the dressing

• 1

  Remove the chicken gizzards and liver from the chicken cavity. Wash the chicken inside and out in cool running water. Place whole chicken, gizzards, and liver in a pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, roast the chicken, gizzards, and liver in a 350°F oven until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F; about 20 minutes per pound. Once cooked, set the chicken, gizzards, and liver aside to cool. Save the liquid that accumulates in the pressure cooker to add to the dressing.

• 2

  Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, crumble cooked corn bread and add onions and celery. Chop 3 of the hard-boiled eggs, add to the bowl, and stir. Add 16 ounces of Cream of Chicken soup, sage, all-purpose seasoning, and the liquid from the cooked chicken and stir. If the mixture seems thick, add a little hot water to thin it. Set aside about 1 cup of the mixture to use in the gravy. Place the rest into a 9- by 11-inch baking pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For the gravy

• 1

  Chop the reserved chicken gizzards and liver and the remaining 2 hard-boiled eggs. Slice the meat from the whole chicken and chop enough so you have about 1 cup of meat. Freeze the remaining chicken to use in other dishes.

• 2

  In a large saucepan, combine the remaining cream of chicken soup, reserved dressing, gizzards, liver, eggs, and chicken and stir. Add grated carrot and a little hot water until the mixture is the consistency of gravy. Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

• 3

  Serve a portion of the cooked dressing topped with gravy alongside roast turkey.