Countdown to Thanksgiving: Italian Sausage and Bread Stuffing

Here in the South (I'm writing this from Dallas), our Thanksgiving Day dressing is mostly cornbread redolent with sage, celery and onion. Pretty simple and awfully delicious. But apparently you Yankees put sausage in your "stuffing." (You even call it something different...) So in the interest of geographic equality, I thought I'd try a recipe like this one.

And I'll admit it was delicious. I just know it won't replace my other half's cornbread dressing on our table. It's a Southern thing.

(That said, Southerners, take heart. Fix a casserole of this up and serve it with scrambled eggs at your Thanksgiving Day brunch. It's a wonderful sausagey bread pudding...)

Italian Sausage and Bread Stuffing
From Gourmet (RIP) magazine.
Serves 10-12.

1 (3/4- to 1-pound) round Italian loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, divided
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 medium onions, chopped
4 large celery ribs, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided (I substituted milk.)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Generously butter baking dish.

Put bread in 2 shallow baking pans and bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until just dried out, about 6 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook half of sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Brown remaining sausage in remaining tablespoon oil, transferring to bowl.

Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean. Heat butter over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, celery, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Add vegetables and bread to sausage.

Whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup cream (or milk), chicken stock, cheese, and parsley, then stir into stuffing.

Pour stuffing into large baking dish. Bake stuffing, covered tightly with foil, until hot throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes more.