Cornbread dressing is southern. Bread dressing is for you folks up Nawth.

Hey, but Stovetop and Pepperidge Farm are for us all.

My family's Labor Intensive Cornbread Dressing

A few days prior to Thanksgiving or Christmas, remove giblets from and then boil a baking hen (this is a large, fat bird, not a fryer, found in places like Whole Foods right before the holidays) slowly for several hours in water to cover. When the chicken separates easily from the bone, it is done.

Remove hen and reduce the broth by half. (That's boil the broth until half of it is gone, you noncookers--sheesh! ) Refrigerate when cooled.

Prepare cornbread at least a day prior to holiday. Use traditional ingredients. (That means using bacon grease as the shortening, and also greasing the cast iron skillet with the bacon greese. Also maybe better to use two/thirds cornmeal to one/third flour, or half and half. Also use buttermilk and baking soda rather than plain milk.) Bake till crisp.

On feast day, crumble cornbread and add maybe three slices of dried white bread, toasted, which have been left sitting out on the counter for several hours in order to dry. Add sauteed celery and onion, lots. Mixture should be cooled if necessary, then pour in chicken broth. Never use hot ingredients, as this will adversely affect the texture.

Stir in lots of sage, a bit of salt and black pepper, maybe a chopped boiled egg or two (some like it, some don't), then--if mixture appears dry, add a beaten egg and/or maybe a bit of canned evaporated milk.

Next--this is the controversial part, but what makes the taste authentic, IMV--place the boiled chicken pieces on top. These will char and add authentic flavor.

After the turkey is removed from the oven, cook the dressing for about 20-30 minutes or until it sets. It should still be fairly moist.

It's good. But I've made it only a few times, too much trouble.

Anyhow, just for the history books--

ETA: Or forget about tradition and just chop a jalapeno into the Stovetop or Pepperidge Farm dresing.