I had something like this at a restaurant in Winston-Salem this fall. The catfish into which it was stuffed was thoroughly forgettable, but the stuffing was fantastic. So I ripped it off for Thanksgiving. For the rest of you it’s too late for Thanksgiving, but it’s never too early to think about next year’s menu! Recipes follow after the jump.

The cornbread can be made a couple of days in advance but must be stored in the refrigerator; it’s a moist bread and will get moldy if left out. If you’re serving a crowd, you can bake a recipe and a half of the cornbread in a 9×13-inch baking pan (lasagna pan); for a double recipe, use two smaller pans.

Sweet potato cornbread

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and boil until soft. Mash them thoroughly and measure out 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato. Save the remaining sweet potato for another purpose.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet (or similar-sized pan) and set in the oven while it heats.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then add the sweet potatoes, honey, and buttermilk, and thoroughly combine. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine.
5. When the oven is hot and the butter melted, pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If you are using a cast iron skillet, turn the cornbread out immediately onto a plate so the crust remains crisp.

Sweet potato cornbread dressing

• 1 recipe sweet potato cornbread
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup diced country ham
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or turkey stock

1. Crumble the cornbread into small bite-sized pieces. If the cornbread is still moist, spread it on a baking sheet and place in a 200-degree oven until dry. It should not be crispy or dessicated, just a bit stale.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion and celery slowly until soft and the onion is translucent. They should sweat rather than brown; this will take 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Combine the cornbread, cooked celery and onion, ham, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, and black pepper. Add just enough chicken stock to moisten the dressing.
4. If using as stuffing, follow the directions in your favorite recipe for roast chicken or turkey. Otherwise, place the dressing in a lightly greased casserole dish and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and browned. Variation: Bake in greased muffin tins and serve one “muffin” to each guest.

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