Holiday Recipes From Famous Savannah Chef

POSTED: 7:20 a.m. EST November 25, 2003

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- These recipes from Chef Paula Deen are timely because each is a Thanksgiving dish.

Chef Deen is the owner of the famous Lady and Her Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga. Paula Deen's new show, "Poker Night," is debuting on the Food Network.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

Cornbread, crumbled (recipe follows)
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines, and mix together and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour sauteed mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt and pepper, to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning, and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Cornbread:

1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, cut into desired squares and serve with butter.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Fancy Green Beans

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup thin onion wedges
1/2 cup whole cashews

In a small bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, honey, and butter.

Fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Drop in the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beans are bright green. Drain the beans in a colander and then plunge them into the iced water. Drain again and set aside.

In a skillet, cook the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the hot bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the beans, cashews, and bacon to the skillet. Add the teriyaki-honey sauce and toss gently.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Giblet Gravy

Giblets from turkey (liver, heart, gizzard, and neck), cooked
4 cups turkey stock or broth or chicken broth or stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 heaping tablespoons reserved uncooked cornbread stuffing mix
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
Cornbread Stuffing, recipe follows

Chop the giblets and the meat that has been removed from the neck. Using a saucepot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the giblets, bouillon cubes, poultry seasoning, and raw stuffing to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the boiling stock, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, to taste, and add the sliced boiled egg.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Southern Cornbread Stuffing:

Cornbread, crumbled (same recipe as above)
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional) 5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines, and mix together and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour sauteed mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning, and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Cake:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Whipped cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey. Cut into squares. Serve with fresh whipped cream.