Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

I just got done making my stuffing for tomorrow.  It is an old recipe my dear aunt used to make for us.  See, my father, God rest his soul, was a bit fussy as a child so my grandmother decided to do without the giblets, which he did not like.  The result is this classic recipe.  The only thing is, when I wanted to learn to make it, oh, many years ago, my aunt had no recipe.  (They never do, do they?)  She called me one day and said,
     "I'm making the stuffing.  Come over and see how."

I did, and it is now in my head, waiting for my daughters to learn.  Anyway, this is the recipe.  You will note that there are no real measurements, you must go by taste!

1 - 1-1/2 loaf of challah, cut up in cubes and dried over a period of days.
1 -2 sausage rolls. (My hubby likes his stuffing heavy on the sausage, but you decide.)
about 6 ribs of celery - chopped
2 good sized onions - chopped finely
about one stick of butter
about 1 cup hot chicken stock
lots of sage
pepper, salt

Saute celery and onions in about 1/2 stick of butter until soft.  Pour into bread cubes.  Brown sausage, taking care to smash it so you have small bits of sausage, rather than big hunks.  Pour into cubes.  Put about 1 or so cups of chicken stock into the pan and scrape up bits of sausage, onion.  Heat and pour into cubes. If you need more moisture, continue to add stock.  Add sage, pepper, salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Taste.  Add more of what you need.  Repeat until you have the flavor you desire.   Pour into buttered 9x13" pan.   Thanksgiving Day, you place a bit of butter on the top of the stuffing, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at about 350 degrees.

I do not stuff the turkey.  I used to, but honestly, I just don't like the soggy texture or the idea of eating the stuffing out of the bird.  There is also a risk of food poisoning.  I understand that you may like the flavor of drippings on the stuffing, but that is easily remedied by substituting drippings from the pan for the butter, when you cook it.

Keep Celebrating!