Oyster Bread Dressing

OYSTER BREAD DRESSING From Southern Living Holiday Dinners 1982 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread 1/4 pound chicken gizzards 3 cups water 1 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 cup butter 1/2 pound ground lean beef 1/4 pound ground pork 1/4 pound chicken livers, finely chopped 1 teaspoon instant-blending flour (like Wondra) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (or more) dashes hot sauce 2 1/2 pints oysters, undrained Cut bread in half lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet; bake 350� 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool. Tear bread into about 1-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. Set aside. Place gizzards and 3 cups water in a saucepan, cover and cook over medium heat 45 minutes or until tender. Remove gizzards, reserving 1 1/2 cups broth. Finely chop gizzards, set aside. Saute vegetables, parsley, and garlic in butter in a large skillet. Add gizzards, ground beef, pork, and livers; cook over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink, stirring to crumble meat. Add reserved broth, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes or until broth has been reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in flour and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes. Spoon mixture over bread. Cut oysters in half, add oysters and oyster liquid to bread mixture. Stir until well combined. Spoon into a well-greased 3-quart casserole. Bake at 350� or until thoroughly heated. 8 servings.

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