Oh What a Gem!: The Best Stuffing Ever! No, Seriously...

My mouth is watering right now!

If you are looking for a fabulous wonderful best stuffing ever, congratulations. You have found it! This comes from my Aunt Marsha's kitchen, and even if you are not a stuffing lover, I promise, you'll love this. Joe isn't really a big stuffing eater, but he agrees that this is the best stuffing out there. Most Thanksgivings he doesn't even eat the stuffing, but at Marsha's Thanksgiving, he ranks this as the second best item just after the turkey (or maybe even before the turkey). I just don't know how to rave about this enough to impress upon you the wonderfulness of this dish. It is great for any holiday meal, but it can also stand alone as a tasty post-holiday snack. It's even been known to be breakfast on an occasion or three.

So without further ado, thank you Marsha for sharing your "famous" recipe with me and agreeing to let me share it with all of you.

Best Stuffing Ever:

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage cooked and drained

2 Tbsp olive oil

4-6 ounces pancetta diced

1 extra large yellow onion, chopped

7 large celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups, day old, finely diced French bread (this is where I used Foccaccia)

3 cups crumbled corn bread

1 cup toasted pine nuts (3/4 c. for dressing, 1/4 c. for top)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp ground sage

2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 Tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp salt

4-5 cups chicken or turkey broth

1/2 cup butter, cubed, cold

large Parmesan shavings

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet on Medium. Saute Pancetta for 2 minutes.

Add onion and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes.

Mix together breads and 3/4 c. toasted pine nuts in a large mixing bowl, Add cheeses and cooked sausage to the breads. Mix together with the dried seasonings

Add sauteed veggies with any pan drippings.

Slowly add broth and stir until mixed thoroughly. The consistency should not be soupy. but very moist, If not, add more broth.

Test for saltiness and add a dash more if needed.

Place in an extra deep 9 x 13 " greased pan. (I don't have an extra deep pan, so I ended up with a regular 9" x 13" pan and an 8" x 8" pan too.)

Dot the top with cubed butter and cover with foil. Bake at 375* for 45 min. (350 for 1 hr)

Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until slightly crusted on the edges.

Top with remaining pine nuts..Add shaved cheese just before serving.