Meg Goes Nom Nom

I’ve had the idea in my head to make cornbread stuffing for a while now. I think maybe even up to a year ago was when I first started thinking about it, after seeing the idea over at Edible Perspective. Since then, I’ve seen lots of different cornbread stuffing and dressing renditions around the blogosphere. Most recently I saw the contestants over on Top Chef prepare Emeril Lagasse’s Cornbread Dressing, and I think that was the final straw before I had to make my own. After browsing the web for a recipe, I decided to go with Tyler Florence’s Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing.

The recipe suggests caramelizing onions in butter for only 10 minutes, but I let these suckers go for a solid 50 minutes before adding chopped fresh sage.

The smell of fresh sage just IS Thanksgiving to me! So good. I’m a little late to the Thanksgiving party, yet again.

Earlier in the day I prepared a box of Jiffy cornbread mix and made six cornbread muffins. I chopped the muffins into cubes, and then placed the onion and sage mixture on top. I also added half-and-half, chicken broth, and a beaten egg to this mixture.

And that it! Place the mixture into a greased baking dish for 30 minutes, until crusty on top!

Meanwhile I prepared some fish. I intended to buy salmon at the grocery store but accidentally picked up a package of rainbow trout! Oh well, I just prepared the trout the same way I would the salmon: season with blackened seasoning, sauté for two minutes on each side in butter and oil, then finish in a 400 F degree oven for 4-6 minutes. It was good, but I think I’ll go back to salmon next time!

A salad to round out the meal.

I am a HUGE cornbread fan and a HUGE caramelized onion fan so I just loved this easy stuffing! I love how a few simple, quality ingredients (caramelized onions, sage, cornbread) come together to make this special dish.

Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing

Adapted from Tyler Florence’s recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large, or 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed (I used one 8.5 oz Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix)
• Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 45-50 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and toss gently until well-combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, half-and-half, and broth, and pour that over the cornbread. Spoon mixture into a buttered baking dish. Bake uncovered until crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

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My rating: 8.5/10

YUM!

I got my hurrrr did had my hair done at a new-to-me salon this evening after work (Salon in the City).

What do you think?

Okay, I guess you can’t really tell in this picture. It’s difficult to get a full head self-portrait shot of my looong hair with my iPhone. True Story.

Buuuut, I had a conditioning treatment and a hair cut. Nothing too crazy, just a trim, a little long layering added and angled the back a little bit. I had a good experience and even booked my next appointment at the same place. My hair is so soooooft. Hooray.