Joanie's Sausage Bread Stuffing

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 lb breakfast sausage (i.e., jimmy dean)
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped celery, including leaves
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons celery seeds (optional)
• 1 pinch grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1 pinch ground cloves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 -12 cups lightly toasted bread, cubes
• 1 cup dried cranberries (craisins) or 1 cup cherries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or 1/2 cup milk or 1/2 cup wine

Recipe

• 1 in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
• 2 add the sausage, onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, celery seeds, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
• 3 saute, until the sausage is no longer pink and onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• 4 do not drain.
• 5 remove from the heat.
• 6 in a large bowl, toss the sauteed vegetables with the bread cubes and cranberries/cherries.
• 7 season with pepper.
• 8 pour it over the stuffing, along with the broth, and toss to coat.
• 9 the stuffing should just barely hold together when mounded on a spoon.
• 10 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 11 stuff the bird, or, if baking some or all of the stuffing in a casserole.
• 12 bake it covered until heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• 13 for a crunchy top, uncover it for the last 15 minutes of baking.
• 14 makes 14 cups.
• 15 serving size= 1 cup.