Linguiça Sausage Stuffing with Mushrooms

Variations:  

• You can make croutons as specified, use store-bought or make your own (see the Sourdough Croutons recipe), 
• Use regular mushrooms instead of cremini, 
• Kielbasa would also work 
• Dried sage and thyme are fine, instead of fresh.  

Because of the linguiça, you might not need much salt.  However, be generous with the sage and thyme.  Your house will smell like Thanksgiving!

6-8 servings
8 calculated points

Ingredients

• 12 ounces sourdough bread, crusts removed and cubed
• 4 ounces linguiça sausage or kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
• 1½ cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until toasted, stirring after 10 minutes. Place bread in a large bowl.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to pan; cook 2 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add sausage to bread. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion and celery to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until golden. Stir in thyme, sage, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture and parsley to bread mixture; toss to combine.

5. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add mushroom mixture to bread mixture; toss to combine.

6. Combine stock and eggs in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to bread mixture; toss gently to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon bread mixture into an 11 × 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until browned.