Nans Cornbread Dressing with Fresh Herbs and Smoked Oysters

My grandmother made the most amazing dressing.  Every holiday is was a staple at her house.  Now that she is gone, my beautiful Mom is keeping up the tradition of always making it for everyone to enjoy and remembering her loving spirit.  This year I decided to change it up a bit by adding smoked oysters.  I have always wanted to try Oyster dressing or stuffing and because we didn't have the kids this Thanksgiving I was going to give it a try.  I absolutely loved it and think the oysters gave it such a smokey unique flavor.   Now of course if you don't like oysters, like my Mom :), please feel free to leave them out.  My grandmother's original recipe does not include the fresh herbs, but I think it adds so much to it.  Indulge!

INGREDIENTS

4 cups good white or wheat sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

8 cups sweet cornbread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 Tablespoons (3-ounces) unsalted butter

2 medium onions (about 2 cups), finely diced

3 medium celery ribs (about 1 1/2 cups), finely diced
3 clove garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves

2 Tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves

2 cans smoked oysters, chopped

2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half

3 extra-large eggs

1/4-1/3 cup turkey drippings, reserved from roasted turkey (or just use chicken broth if needed)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 250º F.  Place the white bread and corn bread cubes on a large baking sheet.  Bake until the edges are dried but the centers are still soft, about 45 minutes.   Bread can be dried a day in advance.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish, set aside.  Preheat the oven to 375º F.

In a large bowl, toss together the white bread cubes and the corn bread cubes; set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onions and celery; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme, and sage and sauté for 1 minute.  Add 1/2 cup broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour the vegetable mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining chicken broth, half-and-half, and eggs and then add chopped oysters.  Pour the broth mixture over the bread mixture and toss to combine.  Always remember if it looks to runny add more bread, if it looks too dry add more broth.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup turkey drippings over the dressing.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.