Baby, this ain’t your Mawmaw’s cornbread dressing. This is what happens when a Louisiana church lady looks at eggplant season, crawfish season, and stale cornbread and says “hold my sweet tea.”
Nana found this in her church cookbook. Miss Donna's Cornbread-Eggplant-Crawfish Dressing or Casserole. Two large eggplants. 10 oz spinach. 2 cups cornbread crumbs. 2 cups cooked rice. 8 oz cream cheese. 1 carton French onion dip. 14 oz crawfish tails. Optional crab meat. Nana read that list and said “Miss Donna, you feeding the whole parish?”
Pawpaw took one bite and didn’t talk for 5 minutes. That’s how Nana knows it’s good. It’s creamy. It’s savory. It’s got seafood. It’s got cornbread. It makes 2 pans and serves 12 to 14.
You freeze one, bring one to church.
Let’s make Miss Donna proud.
Why Miss Donna’s Eggplant Dressing Wins in Nana's Kitchen
`1. French Onion Dip + Cream Cheese: This is the 1980s church cookbook secret. Tang + creamy + no roux needed. Miss Donna knew.*
`2. Eggplant = The Binder: Peel, cook, mash. Eggplant disappears and makes everything rich. Picky kids won’t even know it’s in there.
`3. Cornbread + Rice: Double carb. This is a dressing, not a side. It’s the whole meal if Pawpaw’s in charge.
`4. Crawfish Tails: 14 oz or more, Miss Donna said. Nana says 1 lb. Louisiana tails only. No China crawfish in Miss Donna’s pan.
`5. Makes 2 Pans: 6x6x2 inch each. Bake one now, freeze one for Christmas. Church ladies plan ahead.
Nana’s Eggplant Dressing Recipe
_Adapted from Miss Donna’s Cornbread-Eggplant-Crawfish Dressing – Church Cookbook*
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
YIELD: Two 6x6 pans – Serves 12 to 14
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large eggplants – about 2½ lbs, peeled, cubed
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed + squeezed DRY
- 2 cups cornbread crumbs – stale cornbread, crumbled. Jiffy works.
- 2 cups cooked white rice – cold, day-old is best
- 1 carton French onion dip – 8 oz, Nana uses Dean’s
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened – full fat
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails – with fat if you got it
- 1 can lump crab meat, drained – optional, but Nana adds it
- 2 tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning – Miss Donna said “to taste”
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese – for topping
- Salt to taste – Nana uses 1 tsp, dip + crab are salty
INSTRUCTIONS – NANA’S WAY:
Step 1: Cook + Mash Eggplant – Don’t Skip
Peel 2 large eggplants. Cut in 1-inch cubes. Boil in salted water 15 minutes till fork-tender. Drain well. Mash with fork or food process (Nana uses this 10-cup food processor) till smooth. Set aside. Too wet? Squeeze in cheesecloth. Wet eggplant = soggy dressing.
Step 2: Mix The Creamy Base
In big bowl: 8 oz softened cream cheese + 8 oz French onion dip. Stir till smooth. Add 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp Tony’s, 1 tsp black pepper. This is your flavor. Taste it. Should be salty and tangy.
Step 3: Add Everything – Yes, Everything
To cream cheese mix, add: mashed eggplant, 10 oz squeezed-dry spinach, 2 cups cornbread crumbs, 2 cups cooked rice, 4 chopped green onions. Stir. Add 1 lb crawfish tails + 1 can crab meat. Fold gently. Don’t break up the crawfish.
Step 4: Taste + Adjust
Taste it. Needs salt? Add 1/2 tsp. More Tony’s? Nana won’t tell. Mix should be thick, wet, scoopable. Too dry? Add 1/4 cup chicken stock. Too wet? Add 1/4 cup more cornbread crumbs.
Step 5: Bake – Makes 2 Pans
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 6x6x2 inch pans or one 9x13. Pour mix in. Smooth top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over both pans. Bake 30 minutes till hot, bubbly, and golden on top. Edges should pull from pan.
Step 6: Rest Before You Serve
Let sit 10 minutes. It sets up. Cut in squares. If you cut hot, it’ll fall apart. Pawpaw don’t care. Nana does.
Nana’s Eggplant Dressing Rules + Fixes
Soggy/watery
Didn’t squeeze spinach or eggplant. Next time: squeeze both in cheesecloth. Fix now: bake 10 min longer, uncovered.
Bland
You used low-fat cream cheese or dip. Don’t. Also needs Tony’s. Miss Donna said “to taste” – Nana tastes heavy.
Too dry
Not enough cream cheese/dip, or too much cornbread. Add 1/4 cup melted butter + 1/4 cup stock, stir, bake 10 min.
Can’t find crawfish
Use shrimp, crab only, or shredded chicken. Still good. But it ain’t Miss Donna’s without crawfish.
No French onion dip?
Mix 1 cup sour cream + 1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix. Let sit 10 min. Close enough.
Freezes?
Yes. Bake, cool, wrap tight. Freeze 3 months. Thaw overnight, bake 350° 20 min to reheat.
What Nana Serves With Eggplant Dressing
*1. Fried Turkey:* Thanksgiving plate. This dressing + turkey + giblet gravy = Nana’s trinity.*
2. Baked Ham: Christmas. Sweet ham cuts the creamy dressing. Church cookbook perfect.
*3. Smothered Pork Chops:* Sunday supper. Dressing on side, gravy over both.
4. Green Salad: Something crisp. Nana uses vinaigrette. You need acid to cut the rich.
`5. By Itself: 2 pans serve 12-14. This IS the meal at potluck. Nana’s brought it 30 years.
*From Nana’s Kitchen:* Miss Donna, your recipe has French onion dip and Nana raised an eyebrow. Nana made it anyway. Pawpaw went back for thirds. The church ladies asked for the recipe. You win.
This is Louisiana dressing. Not cornbread dressing. Not oyster dressing. Eggplant. Crawfish. Cornbread. All in one pan. If you don’t like it, more for Nana.
Make one pan for now, freeze one for later. That’s church cookbook math. That’s Miss Donna math. That’s Nana math.
`Tell Nana: Team Crawfish or Team Shrimp? You put crab in yours? You ever use French onion dip in a casserole before Miss Donna? Tag @NanaTeesCajunHome – Nana wants to see your pyrex!
*Shop Nana’s Dressing Kit:*
6x6 Glass Baking Dishes 2-pack
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