(109) Stacey's Sausage Stuffing

This comes from Stacey who was kind enough to share the recipe with me! She told me that it is "so good and so easy" and that she was excited for Thanksgiving to get here so she could hog on it :) After having made it, I can't say that I blame her!! She gave me her roundabout way of making it, but I'm going to try to write out exactly how I did it! I tested it today because I hated the idea of making a totally new recipe with an audience of 25 people! eek!

This makes a full 13x9" pan. I used only 8 oz of mushrooms, but I think for Thanksgiving, I'm going to use 16oz because the mushrooms are SO GOOD in this!

1/2 lb mild sausage (bulk - the kind in the tube)
1/2 lb hot sausage (again, bulk - the breakfast kind!)
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter
16 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
14 oz bag of cubed herb stuffing (Pepperidge Farms)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
handful of chopped sage (I used about 5 or 6 leaves)
handful of chopped fresh parsley (I used a few pinches of dried)
cracked black pepper - to your personal liking (I forgot this step! oops! I will probably use about 1/4 tsp next time I make it)

1) Cook the sausages in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Chop up with your spatula so you don't have too many big hunks of sausage. [Stacey says she runs hers through the food processor!] Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon & place in a bowl. Wipe grease from skillet.

2) Melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter in skillet. Saute onions and celery until translucent and tender. Add mushrooms and saute until softened.

3) Place stuffing cubes in a large bowl. Soften the cubes with 1c water and 1c chicken broth. Add the onion/celery/mushroom mix and sausage to the stuffing cubes. Add the sage, parsley, and black pepper. Stir with a big spoon or use your hands to combine. Gradually add the remaining 1c of broth  until the stuffing is wet. (you can use even more water after this if you think you need it. I only needed the 3c liquid)

4) Spoon stuffing into a 13x9" pan sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes (until browned and crispy on top). Enjoy!