Sausage Crouton Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs challah or other egg bread, crusts trimmed & cut into 1/2 " cubes
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage link, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup water chestnut, drained and quartered
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 4 teaspoons sage, chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. 2

   Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on 2 large cookie sheets.

3. 3

   Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Transfer to a large bowl to cool.

5. 5

   Crumble the sausage meat into a large skillet and brown over medium heat until cooked through.

6. 6

   Add to the bread cubes using a slotted spoon.

7. 7

   In the same skillet, cook the onion and celery until transparent.

8. 8

   Add to the bread cubes, again with a slotted spoon.

9. 9

   Mix in the water chestnuts, pecans, parsley and sage.

10. 10

    Add the stock and the butter and toss until fully mixed.

11. 11

    The mixture will look kind of dry.

12. 12

    Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13. 13

    You could stuff a bird with this, but I just put it into a big pan and bake after the turkey is done for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.