Try this savory holiday dressing with or without oysters

This is a basic recipe for baked dressing. I use an old 10-by-10 metal baking dish from France for this recipe, but any shape will do as long as it holds about the same amount.

This recipe is one from my Charleston family, so adding the oysters was expected, but I like it just as well without them. 

This will serve 6-8.

To begin, roughly tear up 4 cups of bread — parts of loaves, cornbread, rolls , bagels, any combination of breads will do, and an assortment makes it all the better.  I save pieces of leftover bread in the freezer throughout the year just to make this dressing during the holidays.

To increase the flavor in your dressing, you will want to toast the bread in the oven until it is crunchy and brown.

Once you have the 4 cups of bread prepared, place it in a very large mixing bowl.

Melt one stick of salted butter in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add two bay leaves. Add 3 ribs of celery, washed well and chopped fine.

Add 1/2 cup of very finely chopped yellow onion.

Add 1 1/2 cups of hot chicken broth or vegetable stock.

Add 1 tsp salt , 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp celery salt.

Let the mixture cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Pour this mixture over the toasted bread.

Boil, cool, shell and finely chop two eggs and add to the mix.

Mix well.

At this point, you can leave this as it is or you can add 1 cup of cooked and shredded chicken or turkey.

You can also add 1 cup of oysters that you have sauteed in butter before adding to the mixture.

You may also now add 1 cup of shelled, butter-sauteed and sliced chestnuts.

Mix well again.

Once you have the dressing made using the ingredients you prefer, press it into your prepared baking dish. Press it down with the back of a spoon for as smooth a surface as you are able to achieve given the ingredients you have selected.

Add 1/2 stick of salted butter, cut into thin pats, to the surface.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.

Baking will allow all of the flavors to mingle and allow the dressing to become solid enough to cut into squares or to be fluffed with a fork and served with a spoon.

Growing up, we loved this dressing more than any other part of the meal and often made 2 or 3 pans to share with friends or keep in the freezer.

I hope you will try it using the ingredients you have on hand and those that you prefer.

Saving leftover and stale bread all year to include in this dressing makes for a unique flavor profile that adds greatly to the enjoyment of the season.