Cornbread Oyster Dressing

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, crisp bacon until fat has rendered and bacon bits are crispy. Add onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring, to soften the veggies. Turn heat off skillet.

In a large bowl, combine bacon mixture, cornbread cubes, stock, melted butter, sage leaves, raw oysters, and salt. Stir gently to not break up the cornbread too much.

Press the mixture back into the cast iron skillet (see note). Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 30 minutes until the top of the dressing is golden brown.

Serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. An 8 1/2-ounce package of cornbread mix should make roughly enough batter for an 8×8 inch pan.
2. I suggest cooking the bacon and veggies in a cast iron skillet (8 inches or so), then baking the cornbread in the same skillet. If you don’t have cast iron, just use a regular greased baking dish.
3. Shucked fresh oysters can be found in the seafood or deli department of most large grocery stores.