Recipe: Sausage and Herb Bread Stuffing

Sausage & Herb Bread Stuffing
Yields: about 14 cups -- Serving Size: 1/2 cup

1 1/2 loaves (16 ounces each) challah or other rich egg bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 package (10 ounces) fresh or frozen (thawed) pork sausage meat
1/2 cup margarine or butter (1 stick), cut up
6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 jumbo onion (about 12 ounces), chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 cans (14 to 141/2 ounces each) chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
1 package (7 ounces) chopped mixed dried fruit (about 1 1/4 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide bread between two 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pans. Place pans on 2 oven racks and toast bread 15 minutes or until golden, rotating pans between upper and lower racks halfway through toasting, and stirring once. (If not completing stuffing now, cool toasted bread; store in plastic bag at room temperature up to 1 week.) Meanwhile, heat nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until sausage is browned, breaking up sausage with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to very large bowl. Discard any fat remaining in skillet. In same skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Add celery, onion, salt, and pepper, and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley, thyme, and sage, and cook 2 minutes longer. While vegetables are cooking, in 2-quart saucepan, heat broth and dried fruit to boiling over high heat. Remove saucepan from heat. To bowl with sausage, add vegetable mixture, broth with dried fruit, and bread cubes; toss to mix well. Use to stuff 12- to 16-pound turkey. Or spoon stuffing into greased 13" by 9" glass baking dish or shallow 3 1/2-quart casserole. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 325 degrees F. oven 30 minutes. Remove cover; bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through and lightly browned on top.