How To Make The Best Chicken And Dressing

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It's Not Thanksgiving For Us Without It

This chicken and dressing casserole recipe has been a family favorite for over 40 years. A brimming panful of this dish is essential to our family's Thanksgiving feast, and it's simply not optional.

This is the one food our family looks forward to most on Thanksgiving, even those who would much rather we serve ham instead of turkey.

It all began years ago when my husband's beautiful cousin Norma Jean, a legendary cook, taught me how to make her signature chicken and dressing casserole. It's a great make-ahead dish you can prepare a day or two before so your kitchen isn't so overloaded on the big day.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we can't wait! We all love a lazy Thanksgiving! No stress or pressure on Thanksgiving. We just love to hang out, eat, make a Christmas craft, nap, eat some more, and go to a movie.

The Big Question

Do you call it stuffing or dressing at your house? When I was a kid, moms everywhere made stuffing the same way. Traditionally, cooks added chopped-up gizzards, liver, and turkey neck to a mixture of bread, onions, and celery. Then they stuffed it inside the Thanksgiving turkey and roasted it with the bird.

I thought it was the grossest thing ever. I cringed when I watched Mom dig it back out of the turkey's rear end and put it in a bowl, and I still think it's gross. This recipe is NOT that kind of stuffing.

If you love turkey liver and giblets in your dressing/stuffing, you probably don't want to try this one, so feel free to scroll on. But it has proved to be a dish even picky young kids eat!

How Turkey Dressing Began

Stuffing a turkey goes back to the first Thanksgiving. Historians believe the Pilgrims made a wild rice mixture to put inside the bird while it cooked. Over time, they added chestnuts and oysters to the stuffing.

A hundred and some years after Jamestown, the prudish Victorians shuddered at the vulgar term "stuffing." They declared everyone "would call it dressing henceforth."

Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, follows a recipe from her late mother-in-law called "Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing," so there you have it! Everyone seems conflicted about what to call it!

The confusion continues. The packaged bread mixture we use to make it is labeled "stuffing mix." The instant kind you can buy in a box is labeled "stovetop stuffing."  But it's doubtful you will ever see it inside a bird. Go figure.

I  always use Pepperidge Farm Classic Stuffing in the bag trimmed in blue. They don't pay me to say so, but there's nothing as good on the grocer's shelves—the end.

The Best Stuffing/Dressing Is Made With Pepperidge Farm

This chicken and dressing casserole is easy and quick to put together. I've served this dish for over 30 years, and last year I made it in an Instant Pot for the first time. In the past, I always simmered chicken breasts with celery and onion in a big stockpot.

The great aroma was always part of my Thanksgiving preparations, and it would still work just fine to do it that way. However, that day, I had frozen chicken at noon and planned to serve part of it for dinner that night and use the rest for my dressing.

I'm sure many of you find yourselves with frozen meat when it's time to make dinner. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

I used bone-in chicken breasts with the skin on, which were still frozen solid as a rock. Right from the freezer, I put them in the pot with half a large onion cut into chunks.

Then, I threw in the large outer stalks from a package of celery, leaves and all, cut into four-inch chunks. Two cups of water and a generous amount of seasoned pepper were the only other ingredients.

How To Make Chicken And Dressing Casserole

The cooked chicken smelled great, and I easily removed the skin and bones, then chopped the tender white meat into my well-loved old Pampered Chef Bakestone casserole dish.

Next, I used a wide-slotted spoon to remove all the cooked vegetables from the broth and discard them. You could also puree the vegetables and make a delicious cream soup!

I set the Instant Pot to sauté. I added a stick of butter, some parsley, and two heaping tablespoons of my favorite paste-type chicken bouillon (Hint: it's Better Than Bouillon brand; you have to get some!) to the Instant Pot. I let it simmer until the butter melted, then added enough water to make about three cups of broth.

While the broth simmered, I dumped the whole bag of stuffing over the chicken in the casserole dish. Finally, I ladled the broth over the chicken and bread mixture, stirring it lightly until it was absorbed and the chicken and dressing casserole ingredients were evenly mixed and moistened. It should be moist, not soggy. Yes, that broth tastes every bit as good as it looks!

Last, I added more parsley and covered the dish with foil. The chicken and dressing casserole only needs a short time in the oven to warm through, and then it's ready to serve!

Do-ahead hint: Stop now, put the foil-covered casserole in the fridge, and reheat it on the big day. Make sure the foil stays nice and tight. If it seems dry, add a little more chicken broth, milk, or cream- sparingly! Say no to soggy!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Yield: 16 servings

Norma Jean's Chicken And Dressing Casserole

4.4 Stars (12 Reviews)

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A delicious chicken and dressing casserole made outside the bird but works great with everything on your Thanksgiving table! meaty enough to be a main dish on its own.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast with skin on. 
• One 12-ounce package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
• 6 large outer stalks of celery, leaves and all, cut into approximately 4" chunks
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• Seasoned pepper to taste. Be generous. I recommend Lawry's brand.
• 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup
• 2 heaping Tablespoons paste-type chicken bouillon. I recommend Better Than Bouillon brand.
• Lots of Parsley
• Water enough to cover chicken if cooking on the stove. About 2 cups if using an Instant Pot.

Instructions

1. Combine chicken, celery, onion, and seasoned pepper in an Instant Pot.
2. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes, then let the pressure drop naturally.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot. Remove the bones and skin. Chop or shred the chicken meat and put it in a greased 13" x 9" casserole dish or baking pan.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove all the vegetables from the broth and discard them, or puree them and use them as you like.
5. You will need about 3 cups of broth. You may need to add water.
6. Set Instant Pot to saute setting. Put butter, bouillon, and parsley in the broth and simmer until the butter is melted.
7. Empty the bag of stuffing mix on top of the chicken in the casserole dish.
8. Ladle the broth over the chicken and stuffing. Fluff lightly with a fork until everything is evenly moistened and mixed together. Top with more parsley.
9. The mixture should be moist but not soggy. If it seems dry, you can make more broth to add or use milk.
10. It is all fully cooked and ready to eat now. Cover with foil and heat in a low oven until nice and warm.
11. You can make this a day or two ahead and refrigerate. Reheat in a low oven, covered, until nice and warm.

Notes

You can certainly simmer the chicken in a stock pot until it's nice and tender! I did it that way for thirty years before I got an InstantPot!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 31g

I hope you give this chicken and dressing casserole a try. It's been a favorite for four generations in our family, and I'd be so happy to know if you enjoy it, too. This recipe has so much chicken that it can stand alone as a main dish. This dressing tastes absolutely amazing with my Homemade Red Cabbage!

Here are some of the other must-haves on the Thanksgiving table at the Streff house.

Mashed Potatoes and Turkey Gravy

Dill-Glazed Carrots - A beautiful side dish. Crisp-tender sliced carrots with the perfect amount of onion and dill in a slightly sweet, buttery glaze.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce - A quick, wonderful sauce made with fresh cranberries and oranges, perfect for a Thanksgiving side in about 15 minutes.

Pistachio Fluff - This fluff is also known as Watergate Salad. It's a quick and easy recipe with instant pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, whipped topping, miniature marshmallows, and chopped nuts. 

Homemade Dinner Rolls and Breadsticks- A very basic, easy white bread yeast dough you can use in many ways.

Danish Style Cucumber Salad - A classic cucumber salad with just cucumbers, onion, salt, sugar, vinegar, and pepper. Our granddaughters would be horrified if these were not on the table every time we gather!!

If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or a comment. It really helps my little business connect with folks who like to cook like we do- simple but tasty!

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.

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