Seafood Cornbread Dressing for Grilled Meats

Prepare your cornbread ahead — you need it completely cooled before crumbling into fine pieces. This is the foundation, so don't rush it.

Peel and devein the shrimp, keeping those shells — they're gold for flavor. Chop shrimp into rough half-inch pieces.

In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to a gentle simmer. Add the reserved shrimp shells and let them work their magic for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and add the reserved clam juice to this liquid. Discard the shells. (This step creates a proper seafood stock — don't skip it)

Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion and celery until they're soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, crumbled cornbread, salt, pepper, sage, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Mix thoroughly.

Pour the warm seafood broth into the cornbread mixture gradually, stirring as you go. Add the cream of chicken soup and beaten eggs, mixing until well combined.

Fold in the sautéed vegetables, chopped shrimp, and clams with their juices.

Check your consistency — the dressing should hold together when scooped but still be loose enough that it settles slightly. Think of wet sand that just holds its shape. Add more broth if it's too stiff, or let it sit if it's too wet. (This is where experience matters — trust your instincts)

For each serving, place your protein (thick pork chops, chicken thighs, or firm fish fillets) on a large piece of greased aluminum foil. Mound the dressing generously on top — don't be shy.

Fold the foil edges up to create walls that will contain the dressing. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375°F until the meat reaches proper internal temperature — about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on thickness. Use a meat thermometer to be sure.

Let rest 5 minutes before carefully opening the foil packets. Use a spatula to transfer to serving plates.