Oyster Dressing It's Baaackkk...

My parents are just now making their way home from Mexico so Babe and I were elected to make the past weekend's pilgrimage to Chincoteague and secure the holiday oyster supply...

Like I said last year, if I were on death row, and requesting my last meal, at theee very top on the menu would be my family's oyster dressing. And, since we're mere days away from Thanksgiving, I thought I'd reshare the recipe in hopes of giving ya'll enough time to develop a game plan for acquiring your own top notch oysters...

*1 pint Chincoteague oysters, drained and chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 cup butter
8-9 cups hand cubed soft bread crumbs (cheap loaves white bread works best)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage leaves (I am very generous with the sage)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (and, equally as generous with the thyme)

In a large stock pot, cook and stir onion and celery in butter until onion is translucent and tender. Turn off heat and stir in about half the amount of hand cubed bread crumbs. Turn into a deep bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Amount of bread cubes used will depend on how moist the oysters are so, add in stages. Cook in a covered dish At 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Be sure to use quality, salty oysters (preferably Chincoteague) otherwise it's just not as delish.

Kindness of Babe for letting me know our morning 9 miler burned over 1000 calories which freed me up for a guiltless fried oyster sandwich and onion rings indulgence while our oyster supply was being packed on ice for the long ride home...XXOO