- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), meat chopped
- 2 large celery ribs with leaves, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 (1 pound) loaf pumpernickel raisin bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and dried (leave out overnight or lightly toast in a 200 degrees F oven)
- 1 (4 ounce) packet saltine crackers, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups turkey stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon. Add the celery and onion and cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool.
- Add the bread cubes, crackers, thyme, eggs, stock and parsley to the bowl and mix well (use your hands if you like–it's fun). The mixture should be moist but not soggy; add a little more stock if you like your stuffing wetter. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch buttered baking dish and bake for 1 hour. (To keep the stuffing moist, cover the top loosely with foil while it bakes.)