Onion and Sage Bread Stuffing

If you cube and freeze leftover slices from your favorite types of bread in a large gallon freezer bag, or two, you will have the ideal bread to make stuffing.

Assemble on Thanksgiving Day about two hours before you are ready to serve dinner. The spice mixture can be made from fresh or dried spices. Stuffing bakes well in an oblong pyrex baking dish if you have only one oven. If baking below the turkey, you may need to leave it in the oven a bit longer because the turkey is roasting at 325 degrees and this bakes at 350.

• 1 – 2 gallon bags of dry bread crumbs, defrosted
• 1 large onion (use your favorite variety)
• 4 long stalks of celery
• 2 cups chicken or turkey giblet broth
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• Spices Salt, pepper, minced sage, rosemary, parsley, thyme and marjoram to taste

Optional:

• 1 can water chestnuts, drained
• ½ cup chopped apricots or pitted prunes
• 1 package Neese’s extra sage loose sausage cooked and drained of most fat (if not using sausage, you may need to add a 2T melted butter or olive oil

Defrost your frozen bread on cookie sheets the day before you plan to cook. Cover with waxed paper, or parchment paper. If you have an oven with a dehydration setting, use it. You can also lightly toast the breadcrumbs in a toaster oven in batches. The goal is to get the bread to a brittle point, so when you squeeze a cube, it shatters.

Chop the onion and celery, and any optional ingredients you choose to use. Neese’s sausage is a local brand. Use your favorite spicy loose sausage, thoroughly cooked and drained of most fat.

Mix spices together to taste. Start by sniffing each spice. Leave out aromas you don’t like, then start with a ¼ teaspoon of each. Multiply the amount based on how much bread needs to be spiced.

Moisten the dry bread mixture in a very large bowl with up to two cups of Chicken broth, or the broth created by cooking the turkey gizzard and giblets. Add spices and turn through mixture.

If you are not using sausage, you may need a little melted butter or olive oil (2 tablespoons) to give the mixture the necessary moisture. Beat two eggs in a separate bowl and pour over moistened and seasoned mixture.

Spray a casserole dish with Pam, turn onion and sage stuffing into casserole dish and cook through in 350 degree oven, about 30 minutes depending on the size of the casserole dish. Stuffing will be done when edges are browned and moisture appears to percolate to the surface.