Dressing Cornbread Muffins

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and dressing is one of my favorite dishes. But all the carbs that get served at the Thanksgiving table are beginning to concern me (and my waistline). Usually I make mashed potatoes, dressing and some kind of yeast roll. This year I gave my husband a choice of sides. He chose potatoes. I still wanted dressing, and it occurred to me, after making a batch of cornbread muffins with added sweet corn, that I could have my dinner bread and dressing in one nifty package.

Although there is some prep work involved, these muffins are less labor-intensive than dressing, and bake in 15 – 20 minutes. They’re a great time saver and also less expensive because they require fewer ingredients. Feel like dressing with your favorite weeknight meal? Now you can easily have it, without resorting to that stuff in the box.

For my batter I used a cornbread recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, the breast cancer edition. I doubled the recipe. It made 12 large muffins, or it would make 24 regular muffins. Feel free to use your favorite recipe.

½ c. celery

½ c. onion

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. tyme

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

½ c. bacon or sausage crumbles, optional

Dice the celery and onion into 1/4 inch pieces. If you have one, use a non-stick skillet with a little spray oil to sauté the vegetables until tender. Set aside and allow to cool.

Once your batter is made, stir in the above ingredients. Place the batter in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld. I used an 8-cup batter bowl with lid to make my muffins. For baking, follow the instructions of your recipe.

Note: Keep the fat and oils of all add-ins minimal so the amount of fat in your cornbread recipe won’t need to be adjusted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Project Queen