Emeril’s Baked Oyster Stuffing has a Cajun kick. Here’s how to make the Thanksgiving side

In addition to cooking the turkey or ham, Thanksgiving is the meal to make dressing (or stuffing, if you prefer). Cornbread and slices of dry bread can be prepared in advance and thawed before the big meal.

Dressing or stuffing usually is made Thanksgiving morning to keep the flavors fresh. It is one of the last side dishes to be made in my house. Dressing for my Thanksgiving dinner never gets stuffed into the turkey, it’s always cooked separately in a casserole dish.

Cornbread dressing is a uniquely Southern thing. Oyster dressing also has roots in Southern cuisine, although I recommend you tinker with the oysters and use what’s fresh and available to you. I have a fondness for Gulf Coast oysters in this recipe, but East Coast oysters should also work incredibly well.

Readers, if you have not started dressing prep, there is still time to turn out dressing that is firm and a little crispy on top. Keep reading to learn Emeril Lagasse’s oyster dressing recipe. This recipe was originally published in Emeril’s cookbook “Louisiana Real and Rustic.”

Andrea Yeager can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and Cooks Exchange, 205 DeBuys Road, Gulfport, MS 39507.