Soul Food Cornbread Dressing with Giblets and Ground Beef
No holiday feast is complete in my kitchen without my loaded Soul Food Cornbread Dressing taking center stage. Lovingly baked with the Holy Trinity - green pepper, onions, celery - and amplified by sage, chicken pieces, and hearty chunks of ground chuck, it's my tribute to Southern soul food traditions.
1lb.giblets from turkey or chickenboiled, sinew removed, chopped
2tablespoonsoil
1lb.lean ground chuck
1medium onionchopped medium
1bell pepperchopped medium
2celery stalkschopped medium
2garlic cloveschopped fine
1tablespoonchopped sage
1teaspoondry thyme
2teaspoonskosher salt
2teaspoonsblack pepper
1teaspooncayenne
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1lb.cornbread
1cupgiblet stock
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with room temperature butter.
Prepare Giblets
Place the giblets in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that floats to the top. Strain the liquid and reserve 1 cup to use as giblet stock. Remove the tough sinew from the gizzards. Add the gizzards, heart and liver to the food processor, and blitz for 1 minute until they are chopped into medium-sized pieces.
Remove tender meat from the neck bone and set aside.
Prepare Ground Meat
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground chuck and cook until browned, about 7 minutes.
To the skillet, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 15 seconds.
Assemble Cornbread Dressing
In a large bowl, crumble the cornbread. Add the cooked ground beef mixture, turkey neck meat and and the processed giblets. Mix well to combine.
Pour in ½ cup of the giblet stock and stir again. If the dressing appears dry, add an additional ¼ cup of giblet stock. The cornbread should be moist but there should be no extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the cornbread dressing into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
Bake the cornbread dressing in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is brown and crusty. Remove the dressing from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving hot.