Sunday Recipe Sampler: Southern Rice Dressing

While there is nothing like authentic cornbread dressing, you may want to change things up a bit this holiday season and try Southern Rice Dressing.

2 garlic bulbs

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups cooked regular rice

1 recipe of basic cornbread, crumbled

1 (16-ounce) package ground pork sausage

3 T of butter or margarine

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium-size red or green bell pepper, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 T poultry seasoning

1 1/2 T chopped fresh or 1 to 2 tsp rubbed sage

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1. Cut off pointed ends of garlic bulbs; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, and drizzle with olive oil.  Fold foil to seal.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; cool.  Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves into a large bowl.  Add rice and cornbread.
3. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain sausage on paper towel and wipe skillet clean.
4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and carrot, and saute 3 minutes or until tender.
5. Stir sausage, vegetables, parsley, and next 4 ingredients into rice mixture.  Add broth and stir to moisten. Spoon into lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Cover and chill 8 hours, if desired.  Remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 30 mintues.
6. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 12 servings.

Prep:  1 hour, Bake 45 min

If this recipe seems too labor intensive, cut your time by doing some of the work the day before. Go ahead and cook the sausage and saute the veggies and even bake the garlic bulbs and squeeze the pulp out.

I have had this recipe for years and I think it might be from one of the Southern Living magazines years back.

Have a recipe that might compliment this dish during the holidays? Link up with Mr. Linky or post in comments section.