Seafood Cornbread Dressing

Do you call it dressing or stuffing? Either way, I cannot have a winter holiday meal without it!

Growing up, I perfected my maternal grandmother’s cornbread dressing containing pork, chicken broth and chicken, all items I can no longer have as a pescatarian. Over the past 6 years, I have experimented with many kinds of meatless dressings to accommodate my new lifestyle am going to share my favorite one with you.

Can we say SEAFOOD CORNBREAD DRESSING really loud for the people in the back!

This dressing is very hearty and will certainly impress your loved ones because it contains shrimp, scallops, crab and mahi mahi (queue the ooohs and aahhs!).

Although I consider this dish an annual meal containing ingredients that should be enjoyed occasionally, these sea treasures contain omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Shrimp contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, scallops contain magnesium, crab contains vitamin B2 and mahi mahi contains several B vitamins and a powerful antioxidant selenium. Indulgent yes, but feel good about getting some pretty healthful nutrients too.

This dish in gluten free, pescatarian friendly and AMAZINGLY delicious! If you are vegan or vegetarian you can replace the seafood with mushrooms or jackfruit and use a plant based butter. I have tested both and they are delish as well.

You will need:

  • 1 9×9 inch baking pan baked containing cooled gluten free cornbread (I use Pamala’s Cornbread Muffin Mix and did not modify instructions.)
  • Large mixing bowl
  • 2 large skillets
  • A medium pot
  • Mixing spoon
  • Disposable cooking gloves
  • 8 oz Lump crabmeat (I used Phillips)
  • ½ pound of medium -raw, cleaned and deveined shrimp
  • ¼ pound of small fresh and clean scallops
  • 2 ground mahi mahi burgers (Optional. I buy mine from a local farmer’s market. They are gluten free but do contain a little parmesan cheese for taste.)
  • 2 teaspoons of sage
  • 2 teaspoons of allspice
  • 1 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
  • 4 teaspoons of melted butter
  • 1 ½ bags of Glutino gluten free original crackers
  • 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seafood seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon of creole seasoning (I used Tony Charcher’s)
  • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of multi-seasoning (Optional. I used salt-free Everything But the Bagel seasoning, but you can also just add dried minced garlic and black sesame seeds.)
  • 2-3 celery stocks diced
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • ½ cup of vegetable broth

Instructions:

  1. Make sure your cornbread is cooked.
  2. Boil diced vegetables in a medium pot until translucent with ½ cup of vegetable broth.
  3. Cook mahi mahi burgers on the stove by pan searing them until they are cooked on medium-low heat with avocado oil or butter.
  4. Lightly sauté seafood in a large skillet with butter, a dash of old bay seasoning and garlic with lemon for 1-2 minutes. This is not to cook the seafood but to begin the process and release some liquid.
  5. Gently crumble cooked and cooled cornbread into a large mixing bowl.
  6. Crush Glutino gluten free crackers (I put them in a compostable food storage bag and crush with hands or rolling pin) and add to bowl with cornbread.
  7. Add seafood to large bowl with cornbread and cracker mixture.
  8. Add cooked vegetables with broth.
  9. Add seasonings.
  10. Add melted butter.
  11. Gently mix well with hands (I wear gloves, so my hands do not get messy).
  12. Add mixture to oiled baking dish and cover.
  13. Bake for 30 minutes on 350-degree Fahrenheit.
  14. Take off cover and cook for 10 more minutes so the top can be golden-brown.
  15. Take out and enjoy this recipe made with love!

Note: I am not going to provide nutrition information for this recipe due to the complexity of the dish. Please note that a serving size is ½ cup.