Recipe by Tucker Shaw.
This recipe uses mirepoix (a mixture of onion, celery and carrot) as a flavor base. To make it vegetarian, skip the sausage and use vegetable stock instead of chicken. Consider this recipe a base recipe, to which you can add all manner of things: apples, bacon, leeks, squash, nuts, you name it. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 loaf day-old bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/4 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, crumbled
8 leaves sage, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
6 sprigs parsley
2-3 cups chicken stock
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Spread cubes on sheet pan and toast in oven about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bread cubes. Increase oven temperature to 350.
Wipe out skillet (do not wash). Add olive oil, onion, celery and carrots, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to bowl. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
Mix together toasted bread cubes, cooked vegetables, sausage, sage and thyme and place in buttered baking dish. Add enough chicken stock to moisten. Bake at 350 until browned on top, about 40 minutes.
