What will your holiday stuffing be this year? I already know what mine will be, I make the same every year, it's not thanksgiving without it!

I have always enjoyed cornbread stuffing with oysters since I was a kid. I was raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with 110 pecan trees in the back yard so I have integrated this into my holiday meal since then. It's very tasty, very crunchy, and very good, it is a widely accepted Gulf Coast tradition!

No need to make things complicated, I use the store bought Pepperidge Farm bags of cornbread stuffing, they are easy to use and consistent every time!

Yes I could make this from scratch but hey there is certainly enough to do in a holiday kitchen so excuse me if I take the easy way ok?

2 bags Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing
Swanson broth (as per recipe on stuffing bag calls for)
Land O Lakes salted creamery butter (as per recipe on stuffing bag calls for)
1 quart oysters
1 bunch parsley
1 large celery heart
1 bunch green onions
1lb coarse chopped pecans

Wash, separate, and slice celery stalks 1/8 to 1/4" thick. Chop green onions.

In a 3qt stockpot, begin stuffing mix with butter and broth as directed on stuffing bag. As soon as mixture comes to a simmer, put sliced celery in mixture and allow it to start to soften. meanwhile with a pair or shears, cut parsley into fine shards and add to mixture. Add pecans, allow this to soften for 10-15mins on a medium simmer. Add green onions. Drain oysters and reserve liquor do NOT discard! With shears, take each oyster and cut into pieces over stock pot. Add liquor from oysters and simmer mixture until celery is soft and pecans are still slightly crunchy.

Mix into stuffing mix in a large bowl as directed on bag and serve warm!

A note on oysters:

I always buy extra oysters because I love to eat them raw with just salt or texas pete or tabasco, and I also enjoy making oyster shooters. Recipe posted separately.

Gulf oysters or Atlantic oysters are the norm for this recipe, but if you happen to have access to pacific oysters, notably the Willapointe brand from the pacific northwest? Cut the amount you use by 1/2 or even 2/3 because these bivalves are VERY strong in flavor and salt content!

Enjoy!

This recipe is for the crock pot.

Your choice of whatever cut of venison you wish to use, as long as it fits in the crock pot! I like one of the solitary roasts which is one large muscle cut from the hind quarter, you could also use a backstrap cut into pieces.

Start with Lipton recipe secrets soup mix, almost any of the beefy or onion or mushroom flavors will do, add a shake of steak seasoning, 2tbsp balsamic vinegar, beef boullion crystals, and water.

Taste the liquid, it should taste rather strong for soup, kinda salty, this is what you need to start with. Place roast in liquid and cook on low 6-8 hrs or until meat starts to fall apart with fork.

For the gravy, spoon some of this liquid into a skillet and add Wonder flour, stirring with a whisk until it boils and thickens, bless with a little tabasco or tapatio hot sauce and serve.

This dip is nothing to laugh at, properly made it is often the first thing to disappear from the table!

Use a chunk of venison cooked until it is falling apart in a crock pot. Carefully scrape off all moisture and fat or anything else with a spoon and place in either a food processor or a mortar and pestle or even a large cup.

Mash or process this into a dry paste of fine fine consistency, mix with French Onion dip or Sour Cream and Onion dip until it reaches a thickness suitable, should have a light tan almost flesh color to it, and upon close inspection you can see the meat fibers like very fine thread.

Serve with veggie tray or chips! This stuff ROCKS!!

1 very large grocery bag stuffed full of collards or about 5lbs. If you have to use your fist and smash them into a 16qt stock pot? Ya probably got about the right amount!

Wash, strip leaf from the stems, tear into pieces with hands while removing from stems, float in a sink full of water to wash very very well, place in a large stock pot with 1 gallon of water and put on high heat.

When water comes to a boil, salt liberally and add about a tablespoon of black pepper, 1/2 cup of jalapeno slices with vinegar, chop 2-3 turnip roots and add those, and cover pot.

Choose what kind of smoked meat you want to use, and this can be anything from ham hocks to hog jowls to smoked turkey legs, pork tails (Mmmmm yes very good) smoked shank, smoked ham steak (can eat all of the ham steak) and add several pieces to impart a smoky flavor.

Cook over medium heat for 2-3 hours until they start smelling up the house and greens are semi crunchy yet tender and flavorful, DO NOT COOK UNTIL THEY TURN TO MUSH!

Serve with holiday fare and be sure to serve with more jalapeno vinegar or hot sauce as desired.