Recipe: Thanksgiving Dirty Rice and Cornbread Dressing

NEW ORLEANS — Chef Kevin Belton is making Thanksgiving sides, specifically dirty rice and cornbread dressing. 

Watch Chef Kevin Belton every Tuesday mornings on WWL-TV Eyewitness Morning News.

Dirty Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. pork breakfast sausage
• 1/2 lb. chicken livers, chopped
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
• 2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
• 4 cups beef or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup green onions

Directions:

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat add oil, break up and sauté beef until browned, about 8 minutes. 
2. Remove beef and drain in a colander. Return pan to heat and cook pork until browned, about 8 minutes. 
3. Remove pork and drain in a colander. Add pork to mixing bowl. 
4. Using the same sauté pan, add chicken livers and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and drain in colander.
5. Using same sauté pan with the remaining oils and drippings, sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper until translucent, 8–10 minutes. 
6. Add garlic, parsley and Creole seasoning and cook, stirring for 1 minute. 
7. Return meat, chicken livers, and rice to the pot. Sauté for 3 minutes and add stock. 
8. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
9. Turn off the heat, stir, and cover; let set for 10 minutes. 
10. Stir in green onions. Serve as a side dish.

Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients:

• 8 cups cornbread (crumbled)
• 1 / 4 lb. butter
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 Tbsp. garlic
• 3 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
• 2-3 cups chicken stock

Directions:

1. Crumble cornbread in large mixing bowl.
2. In a skillet, melt butter. Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Sauté until tender. Add thyme, garlic, and seasoning. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add to cornbread. Mix well. Slowly add stock, stirring until mixture is very moist. Place in baking pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Note: This is a basic cornbread dressing. Before adding stock these optional ingredients can be added.

• 2-3 doz. oysters, 
• 1 lb. crab meat, 
• 1 lb. cooked shrimp, 
• 1/2 lb. cooked pork sausage

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