Miss Hilda's Portuguese Dressing

Ingredients

• 12-14 cups day-old loaf French bread cubes, 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 lb ground beef
• 1 lb Portuguese chourico, chaurice or chorizo sausage, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. 2

   Put the bread into a large mixing bowl and add the milk. Press the bread into the milk and let sit until the milk is absorbed and the bread is soft, about 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the ground beef, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, stirring until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and bay leaf. Season with the salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.

4. 4

   Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Transfer the meat mixture to the bread mixture and stir to mix well. Add the eggs and parsley and stir well to blend. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

6. 6

   Grease a 9 x 13-inch (3 quart) shallow baking dish with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

7. 7

   Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and serve warm.