Chicken and Cornbread Dressing Casserole

2 servings

½ of an 8 x 8 sized pan of regular cornbread

1 – 1 ½ cups of chicken (cooked)- this can be one large chicken breast or a the meat from a rotisserie chicken or a couple of cans of chicken breast (in a pinch)

1 slice of toasted bread, torn into small pieces

¼ of a hard boiled egg

1 shallot or ¼ of a small onion

½ stalk celery – diced

½ teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons butter (melted or very soft)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 – 10.5 ounce can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth (or more to suit your taste)

Bake the cornbread and let it cool. 

If you are cooking raw chicken breast, season with it salt and pepper and add the chicken broth to the pan and enough water (if needed) to cover the chicken. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes. Cut into the chicken to make sure it’s done, then move the chicken to a plate. DO NOT throw out the broth, you will need this. 

NOTE: if you are using chicken that you have previously cooked, rotisserie chicken or canned chicken you don’t have to warm the broth or the chicken. Just have them handy.

Once your cornbread is cool, take half of the pan of cornbread and crumble into a large bowl. Eat the other half or freeze for future recipes. Add the toasted bread (torn into little pieces) onion, celery, hard boil egg, sage, poultry seasoning and 2 tablespoons of cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, butter, salt and pepper. Gently mix this all together. If it looks a little dry, sprinkle with some chicken stock until it is the consistency that you like .

Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray. Layer a tablespoon or so of chicken soup on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the dressing and add half of the cooked chicken. Top with another 1/3 of the dressing, 2 tablespoons of chicken soup and the rest of the chicken . Add the last bit of dressing and the last of the soup on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Cover with foil for the first 45 minutes. Check the casserole after 45 minutes and if it needs more liquid, you can drizzle some chicken broth on the top. Cook uncovered for the last 15 minutes to allow the top to brown slightly.