Crock-pot Cornbread Dressing

After several attempts at making dressing in my crock-pot, I have finally "tweaked" my recipe enough that I am satisfied with it.  I tried it for Thanksgiving this year and it was a "hit", and after just a few minor changes, I made it again for our family's CHRISTmas dinner.  It is SO nice to have one more dish that can be prepared outside of the oven...freeing up that valuable oven space that we all so desperately need during holiday meal preparation.

It also solved another dilemma in  our household....some of my family requests traditional cornbread "dressing" like all of us Southerners grew up having, but one of my children actually prefers "Stovet@p Stuffing" (what?) over dressing.  Guess what?  They ALL like this dish!!

**  Prior to preparing this dish, cook cornbread according to this recipe  or by using packaged mixes.  
(I have used 2 (16 oz.) packages of Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread Mix prepared with milk and had equally good results.)

1 (14 oz.) pkg. Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix

5-6 cups of previously prepared cornbread

28-32 oz. chicken broth **

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans of Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1 (4 oz.) can chopped mushrooms

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Tablespoon ground sage

2 Tablespoons butter, cut up

Chop onion and celery and set aside.

Crumble previously baked and cooled cornbread.

Combine all ingredients except for the butter in a large mixing bowl.

Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Spoon cornbread mixture into a well-greased 6  quart crock-pot.

Dot the top surface of cornbread mixture with pats of butter.

Cook on Low for 4-6 hours, or until set and thoroughly cooked. 

(I cook mine for right at 5 hours, but adjust time as needed since some crock-pots cook "hotter" than others.)

** Our family likes our dressing very moist, but if you prefer a "drier" dressing, you may lessen the amount of chicken broth added.