Traditional Sausage-Mushroom Turkey Stuffing

• bulk pork sausage↗1 lb
• butter↗1⁄2 cup
• sliced celery1 cup
• chopped onions2 cups
• mushrooms↗8 ounces

  sliced

• chicken broth1

  (13 3/4 ounce) can chicken broth (and additional broth, if necessary)

• firm-textured white bread↗2 lbs

  cut in 1/2-inch cubes (stale or toasted, do not use fresh)

• egg↗1

  lightly beaten

• poultry seasoning1 teaspoon
• thyme leaves↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• fresh ground black pepper↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• salt↗1⁄2 teaspoon

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Pan fry sausage over medium-high heat until crumbled and cooked well. Set aside.

2. 2

   In large fry pan, melt butter. Add celery, onion, and mushrooms. Saute until soft. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook down until about 1/3 of the liquid remains.

3. 3

   In large bowl, toss bread cubes with poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add sausage and drippings to bowl and stir. Add vegetables and broth mixture to bowl and stir. Add egg and mix until fully combined. Mixture should be moist and bind together easily. (If not, add more chicken broth.).

4. 4

   Stuff neck and body cavities of turkey, or spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole and cover with foil. Truss turkey and roast as usual or, if baking, add casserole to oven about 30 minutes end of turkey roasting time and let bake for 45 minutes. I have also successfully made stuffing balls with this recipe, rolling the stuffing mixture into balls (I got about 15 of them), placing them on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet and baking in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes. They were moist and delicious!