Cornbread Dressing Croquettes

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or margarine, divided
• 3 cups white cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 7 large eggs
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups soft breadcrumbs (we tested with 6 slices Pepperidge Farm white sandwich bread)
• 2 medium onions, diced (2 cups)
• 1 large bunch celery, diced (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed chicken broth, undiluted
• 1 tablespoon pepper

Preparation

1. Place 1/2 cup butter in a 13" x 9" pan; heat in oven at 425° for 4 minutes.
2. Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients; whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk.
3. Pour hot butter into batter, stirring until blended. Pour batter into pan.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Crumble cornbread into a large bowl; stir in breadcrumbs, and set aside.
5. Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery, and sauté until tender. Stir in sage; sauté 1 minute. Stir vegetables, remaining 4 eggs, chicken broth, and pepper into cornbread mixture. Shape unbaked dressing into croquettes, using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop. Place croquettes on lightly greased baking sheets, making sure not to crowd them on the sheets.
6. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until well browned (and internal temperature reaches 160°). Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes.