This recipe was given to me by a co-worker many years ago. We had an annual Thanksgiving feast at work and he would always make this stuffing using his secret recipe. After many attempts, I finally convinced him to give me the recipe and it has become a Thanksgiving favorite for years and years.
This recipe feeds a crowd. Plan ahead when making this because you start the process a week before and it takes all morning to make it. It is definitely not a healthy recipe - but, hey, it is the holiday.
Ingredients
2 loaves white bread
1 package stuffing cubes (optional - used if the stuffing gets soggy; sort of an insurance policy if you mess up)
1 pound bacon
1 pound bulk sausage
3 eggs (or I prefer to use about 3/4 cup of Eggbeaters)
1 pound white mushrooms
1-2 cans chicken broth
2 - 3 onions
1 whole bunch celery
Butter
Assorted spices to your taste: I use garlic salt, garlic powder, onion salt, celery salt, parsley, fresh sage and basil.
Instructions
About one week before your serving day, place two loaves of white bread in a large aluminum turkey roasting pan. Separate the slices and allow to dry. Every few days, I "stir" the pieces to allow those on the bottom to dry also.
The night before your serving day, break the bread into small bite size pieces. Place the bread pieces in the same aluminum turkey roasting pan.
The morning of your serving day, in a large skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it up in small pieces as it browns. Add to the bread pieces. Stir to combine.
Wipe skillet clean of grease from the sausage.
In batches, fry the bacon. Allow to drain on paper towels. Remove, but reserve bacon grease as you fry the entire pound of bacon. When bacon has cooled, chop into small pieces and add to bread mixture. Stir to combine.
Chop celery in to small pieces, including leafy sections. In the same large skillet, add some reserved bacon grease. Saute the celery until softened. Add additional butter to the pan if needed.
Add celery to bread mixture. Stir to combine.
Chop 2 - 3 onions into small pieces. In same skillet, using reserved bacon grease and butter, saute the onion until softened. Add to bread mixture, Stir to combine.
I often find it easier to stir with my hands than with a spoon.
Next, add some chicken broth to soften the bread. stir and toss to combine. Whisk eggs and add to the bread mixture, stirring and tossing. I prefer to add Eggbeaters because I like to taste the mixture to get the right addition of herbs, salt and spices. I also find people sneaking samples of the stuffing before it is cooked. With Eggbeaters, I don't have to worry about anyone eating raw eggs.
Next add seasonings to taste. Be careful not to add too much salt because the bacon adds a saltiness to the stuffing. I tend to season my stuffing quite heavily. I like to have flavors of sage and basil in the stuffing.
Add additional chicken broth if needed, mixing and tossing with your hands. The bread pieces should be moist and stick together, but not be soggy. If you add too much liquid and the mixture appears soggy, add some of the stuffing cubes until it appears moist throughout, but not soggy.
Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Then uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
If you have family members that do like one of the added ingredients, simply withhold that ingredient until the stuffing is combined. Add a small portion to a small casserole dish; then add that ingredient to the remaining; mix and toss and bake both.