Ma Maw’s Dressing By Joy Noble, Macon County
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Servings 8
Ingredients 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds) 1 stick margarine or butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (10-inch) skillet of cornbread, crumbled (7 to 8 cups crumbled) 8 slices stale white bread, torn into small pieces 6 to 7 cups chicken broth (canned or from cooking the chicken) 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning Salt Pepper
Instructions
pringtime is around the corner, but S it’s not here yet. So we’re living it up with some of our favorite winter comfort
food dishes until we have to make way for lighter, seasonal fair. Every time I open a Neighbors magazine, it feels like an embarrassment of riches getting to read stories about the wonderful families around our state who do so much for all of us. The fact that I get to be part of that would be honor enough, but now sharing a recipe from one of those wonderful families in my column each month is just icing on the cake! (Pardon the pun.) I’m excited about sharing a recipe from Joy Noble, originally published in the March 2005 Neighbors magazine. Joy and her husband, Harry, are corn, cotton and cattle farmers in Macon County. They have four grown children and many grandchildren, as well. Joy has worn countless hats in her life, and every one of them tells me her recipe for Ma Maw’s Dressing is going to be one of the best you’ve ever had! Like most Southern cooks worth their salt, Ma Maw didn’t have precise
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February 2022
measurements and cooked to taste. With this recipe, I’ve done my best to give you a little more detail to make it easier for those who like to measure. Keeping up the theme of comfort food, I’m sharing Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie. This is a quick and easy comfort recipe made a little more special by switching out the standard cream soup for jarred Alfredo sauce. While this chicken pot pie still has all the classic ingredients you love, it’s kicked up just enough to make it feel extra special. You know Alabamians love a dessert. I’m bringing you a childhood favorite with an added twist. We all love butter, but browned butter tastes like butter that has answered a higher calling. I can’t take the credit for this one, though. Browning the butter was my wife’s idea after she tasted one of my homemade cakes with browned butter icing. One bite was all it took to win her over. The next thing you know, we had Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats! However, I must issue a warning. Though adults might look at these treats as mostly for the younger crowd, you might want to
Cook chicken in enough boiling water to cover until cooked through. Remove from broth, reserving broth. Cool, shred and set aside the chicken. Heat oven to 350 F and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a skillet, melt margarine or butter. Add onion and sauté until tender. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the crumbled cornbread and torn bread, along with the chicken and sautéed onion. Add enough broth to make it soupy. Stir in the poultry seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes or until browned on top. make a double batch. When older taste buds sample this version, there may not be any left for the kids. As we come out of winter, I hope you’re able to linger around the table just a bit longer, knowing that though we’re grateful for the food before us, it’s the people around the table who make each day worthwhile. Y’all enjoy! Stacey Little is a foodie, recipe developer and cookbook author whose Southern Bite blog helps families put simple, down-to-earth food on the table while preserving Southern cooking for future generations. See more recipes at southernbite.com. alfafarmers.org
