It is called Stuffing when stuffed inside a turkey. It is called Dressing when it is cooked on the side. I had no idea that people actually stuffed turkeys until pretty late in my life.
I have a tiny oven, so I knew I would have little room for the side dishes. But, I happen to have two 5 quart slow cookers (actually, they are Crock Pots
This recipe is adapted from one my family uses, which comes out of a pretty old cookbook. My grandmothers use it, so it works for me!
Dressing
1 loaf of Bread, diced (I used the Healthy Bread in Five Master Recipe, cooked in a loaf pan).
2 boxes cornbread mix (or, ya know, make your own!)
2 tbsp salt (I should have decreased this, due to not using low sodium broth).
1 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (I used sage and thyme, as my poultry seasoning was not good).
1/2 cup butter (Or other fat, butter just tastes good)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups diced celery
4 eggs, beaten
4 to 6 cups broth
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped. (optional)
Bake a loaf of bread a few days before thanksgiving. The day of, cut the bread into small cubes (about 1x1x1 ish, but it does not have to be anywhere near exact). Season the bread cubes with some of the spices, and toast on a sheet pan until slightly dryer. (This does not have to be exact either. Dry is good, croutons would be fine, burnt is not, so whatever.) Bake up two boxes of cornbread mix. (I used one pan of muffins, and one pan of mini muffins. These would have been better had I made them the day before, but they are still yummy).
Dice or chop celery and onions. Saute in 1/2 cups butter (with some salt). You want to have them soft, but not necessarily caramelized.
In a large (Large, I used a 6 quart bowl), break up the cornbread muffins and add the dried bread. Add the celery,onion, and butter mixture. Add chicken stock or broth, and mix gently. The mixture should be moist, but not dripping. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. (My mother pointed out to me that one should test the seasonings before putting the egg in. Silly me, I did not do this, and had to risk food poisoning to taste test it.) Once seasonings are to your liking, add 4 beaten eggs.
Put into a crock pot (mine fit semi snugly in a 5.5 quart), and cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring once (if desired) after about 1.5 hours. Serve :)