Southern Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients:
Mama's Southern Cornbread
3 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup butter
2 medium onions, diced (2 cups)
1 bunch celery, diced (3 cups)
1 Tablespoon dried sage
4 eggs, beaten
5-6 cans chicken broth (10 oz. cans)
1 Tablespoon black pepper

Directions:

• Make Mama's Southern Cornbread and allow to cool completely. (I usually make this a day or so ahead of when needed.)

• Crumble cornbread into an extra-large mixing bowl.

• Add soft bread crumbs and stir together well.

• Melt butter in skillet.
• Add diced onions and celery and saute till tender.
• Sprinkle in sage and stir well/
• Add vegetables to bread crumbs and stir.
• Sprinkle with pepper.
• Add beaten eggs.

• Pour in chicken broth and stir till well blended and makes a batter.

• Spray one 13x9-inch baking dish and one 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable spray.
• Pour mixture evenly into baking dishes. (I do this the day before and chill overnight.  If batter seems dry, add more chicken broth.)
• Chill at least 8 hours.
• Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
• Serve warm with turkey and gravy.

UPDATE: I added a few photos to this recipe today because I wanted to play with my camera.  I also thought I should update by letting you know that I have added chopped oysters to the small pan of dressing for the last few times I have made this because Mike has requested it.  I am taking his work for it that this enhances it and makes it even more wonderful!  I can eat fried oysters when I'm at the beach and have even enjoyed them.  In-the-raw, though, I can just barely make myself handle them to put in the dressing or a breading to fry them for Mike.  The things we do for love!