Last week, my girlfriend, Cory, asked me for my pumpkin pie recipe. I told her it is the exact same recipe that is on the back of the Libby's pumpkin...except...and I realized that I do exact same things as my Grandma and Mama...I add little touches to make my recipes special.
That made me realize that, even though she taught me so much about cooking, Mama adds little nuances to her recipes that I have to see and document, or they will disappear when she is no longer with us.
Today was the day I began my quest to find out what she does to make her dishes so yummy.
She makes the best dressing and here are her secrets (she is ok with me sharing them). This is for a double batch:
- 2 boxes of Mrs. Culbertson's Stuffing
Traditional Seasoning
4 Cubes Butter
2 Cups Chopped Onion
2 Cups Chopped Celery
2 (14 oz) Cans Chicken Broth
3 Small Cans Sliced Olives with Juice
2 Small Cans Sliced Mushroom, Drained
1 tsp each Sage and Thyme Powder
In a very large stockpot, melt the butter, add the chopped onion and celery and cook until the onions are translucent. Then add the olives and their juice and the mushrooms.
Pour a can of the broth into a cup and add the sage and thyme; mix well to incorporate. Now pour one of the bags of dressing into the vegetables and pour the
mixed broth slowly over the breadcrumbs. Then repeat with the other box of dressing and the other can of broth right out of the can. Mix until everything is evenly moistened. Pour into a greased pan, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. About 10 minutes before it is done, uncover so the the top browns a bit. I tasted it this afternoon, and I am already wanting to taste it again--with gravy and cranberry sauce!
It's the butter!