Southwestern-Style Spoonbread Dressing Recipe

This gem of a recipe from our November 1994 issue will make a tasty addition to your holiday table, or a standout side dish on a weeknight. Made with crumbled cornbread and herb stuffing mix, and flavored with celery, onion, red bell pepper, cumin, and a touch of ground red pepper, the dish bakes up golden brown and aromatic. The moist, tender texture is like a cross between spoonbread and cornbread dressing. The recipe calls for cornbread baked fresh from two 8.5-ounce packaged mixes (such as Jiffy), but you can substitute your favorite cornbread recipe, store-bought cornbread, or even leftover cornbread. (You'll need the equivalent of 12 to 16 corn muffins or a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan of cornbread.) The dressing can also be made vegetarian by swapping out the condensed chicken broth for an equal amount of vegetable broth. You can also make this dish one day in advance—which is especially handy when you're cooking for the holidays. Prepare the recipe according to the directions (omitting the garnishes), let it cool to room temperature, then store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving and top with red bell pepper strips and celery leaves.