CLASSIC THANKSGIVING STUFFING

This will be the only stuffing recipe you will ever need! So much fresh herbs and so buttery. It’s simply the best EVER!

The only thing I truly look forward to during Thanksgiving time is the stuffing. That and the pumpkin cheesecake.

But we’ll get to that a little later.

The stuffing though – holy moly. Smothered in some turkey gravy with an afternoon nap – that right there is the holy grail.

And why mess with a classic, right? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

So that’s what we have here. A true classic made with perfectly toasted sourdough bread, so much fresh herbs, and all the buttery goodness one can hope for (mixed in with some of the sausage pan drippings, of course).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (16-ounce) package breakfast sausage
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-13 minutes; set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Drain excess fat; transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Melt butter in the skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat; stir in bread and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock until absorbed and well combined. let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.*
6. Spread bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until top is browned, about 30-35 minutes.
7. Serve immediately.