BASSO FAMILY TURKEY STUFFING

By Stina

Ingredients

• ■2 lbs plain prepared cubed bread stuffing mix or 2 loaves of thick cut white bread
• ■2 lbs pork sausage meat removed from casing
• ■1 1/2 large onions finely chopped
• ■1 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
• ■3 cups chicken stock (College Inn/Swanson is fine)
• ■1 cup canned sliced button mushroom
• ■1/8 cup olive oil
• ■1/4 cup pine nuts
• ■Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

If using bread loaves, leave them out uncovered overnight. The next day, remove the crusts and cut into 1 inch square cubes.



In a large skillet, brown the sausage meat, breaking it up, until all the pink is gone, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the skillet and place in a colander lined with a paper towel set over a bowl or in the sink to allow the excess fat to drain.



In the same skillet, add the olive oil and heat to medium-high. Sauté the onions and celery until the onions are translucent and the celery is soft.



Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and slowly add about 2 cups of the chicken stock until the bread is moistened but not overly wet. Add the sausage, mushrooms, onion and celery and pine nuts. Mix gently but thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste. This will yield about 5 cups of stuffing which is sufficient for a 15 to 20 pound turkey.



If cooking the stuffing in the turkey, any excess stuffing can be put in a shallow baking dish and baked at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, until the top is crisp.

OR

If cooking all the stuffing separately, slowly add the remaining chicken stock to the mix until it is damp and place in 2 shallow baking dishes. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, until the top is crisp. This yields enough stuffing for 12.