Oyster Dressing

This recipe comes from my Great-Grandmother, Mable Wallace, known to me as Mimmi.  With the oysters, it is a real Louisiana twist to our Thanksgiving menu.  (Adding a Louisiana twist to any menu is always a good idea!)   Ten years ago my Aunt LaRue submitted it to Rachel Ray’s magazine, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and it was chosen as one of ten winners in the “America’s Best Stuffing” contest.  I made it that year for the first time and it has been requested every year since by one or more of my children.  The two boxes of corn muffin mix make the same amount of cornbread as a single recipe of cornbread, so I skip buying the boxes and make cornbread the way I normally do.  The secret to this recipe isn’t in the boxes of corn muffin mix, it’s in the rest of the ingredients!

Two 8 ½-ounce boxes corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)

2 large eggs, for the muffin mix

2/3 C milk, for the muffin mix

1 stick butter

1 half onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 C half-and-half

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried sage

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

2 pints fresh raw oysters

Salt and pepper

Follow package directions for making the cornbread with the eggs and milk.  Let cool and break into large chunks.

In a large, deep skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about ten minutes.  Stir in the half-and-half, parsley, sage, thyme, and basil and bring to a simmer.  Add the oysters with their liquid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cornbread chunks and toss gently to coat.

Spoon the stuffing into 2 buttered 3-quart casserole dishes, dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake, uncovered, at 350°, for 40 minutes.