CHICKEN AND DRESSING FROM WAY DOWN SOUTH

This is the best chicken and dressing I have ever tasted in my life. It is also the highest calorie so really be careful with this. Make it once every five years for a church social or something. Makes 12 servings. Jeff Burkhart gave me this recipe. His family has been making it for years.

CHICKEN:

1 (6 pound) whole chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
salt to taste


DRESSING:

2 (9 X 9 inch) pans of cornbread, cooled and crumbled
12 biscuits, crumbled
2 cups diced celery
2 large onions, chopped
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
seasoned salt to taste
1 or 2 dashes of red pepper flakes. To your taste.
9 eggs beaten. That is not a typo. Nine eggs beaten is what you add.

Directions:

Place chicken, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, and salt in a large pot with enough water to cover. I cut the chicken as if I were going to fry it. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat and gently boil for 90 minutes or until chicken meat easily falls from the bone. Drain, Reserve broth. Cool chicken. Chop chicken up. Set chicken aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix crumbled cornbread, crumbled biscuits, 2 cups celery, 2 large onions, sage, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in beaten eggs and the reserved chicken broth. The mixture should be very thin--not as thin as water--but very very thin.

Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir it often while baking.

After 45 minutes, mix the cooked chicken into the dressing mixture. Continue baking 15 minutes until lightly browned.