Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing

Make the cornbread in advance from a mix (3 boxes).

10 cups crumbled cornbread
1 loaf sliced white bread, toasted slightly or left out to dry overnight
3 large stalks celery, chopped
Large yellow onion, chopped to 2 1/2 to 3 cups
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish or coat with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble the cornbread and white bread into a large mixing bowl. In a large skillet, saute celery, onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until onion is transparent. Combine the sauteed vegetables with the bread crumbs and hard-cooked eggs; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine chicken stock, beaten eggs and seasonings; mix thoroughly. Pour egg mixture over cornbread mixture. Toss well to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish; cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until browned on top.