Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs

See this blue enamel roasting pan? I know, it’s the perfect vessel for stuffing. My mother-in-law’s (MIL) family brought it to Canada, many blue moons ago. It’s from Poland and I love when my MIL uses it for her big batches of baked beans in the summer. We spent Christmas dinner in Manitoba this year and I made myself home in my in-law’s kitchen. I prepped the stuffing and baked it beforehand and when the turkey came out, I popped it in the oven to reheat it. I had some leftover caramelized onions from the day before and I added them too. That’s the beauty of stuffing; you can anything you have on hand and it only makes it better. This is how it looked before it went it the oven, all moist and yummy. -bvox

Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs
Adapted from Fine Cooking

• 10 cups crusty Italian or French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter; more for the pan
• 3 stalks leeks, white part only, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium celery stalks, cut into medium dice
• 3 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1 apple, cored, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 to 3 cups veggie broth
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Dash of hot sauce and worcestershire sauce
• Salt and black pepper

Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Let dry overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add celery, mushrooms, garlic and apple and cook another 10 minutes. Add white wine and cook until it has evaporated. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix the bread cubes with the cooked vegetables, 2 cups of the broth, the melted butter, hot and worcestershire sauces, the fresh herbs, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. This is when I added the leftover caramelized onions. If the liquid isn’t immediately absorbed by the bread, toss for a few minutes until it is. If the liquid is immediately absorbed, toss in another 1/2 cup broth. The bread should be moist but not soggy. If necessary, add the remaining 1/2 cup broth.

Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Transfer the bread mixture to the dish, cover with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is slightly browned and crusty, about 20 minutes more.

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Tagged: Christmas Dinner, dressing, eggs, food, Herbs, mushrooms, Recipe, vegetarian