Cinnamon Raisin Bread Stuffing with Sausage

This stuffing is “sweet and savory and spicy— every flavor that you could possibly want!” says Valerie 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish 12 cups cubed cinnamon-raisin bread, from 2 (1 lb.) loaves 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed 3 ribs celery, chopped 1 small bulb fennel, chopped 1 large onion, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock or broth 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 3-qt. baking dish. Arrange bread cubes on rimmed baking pan in single layer. Bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Melt 1 Tbs. butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, breaking up any clumps, until brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer sausage to bowl with bread using slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 3 Tbs. butter to skillet along with celery, fennel, onion, 3/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Add broth, sage and thyme to bowl; toss to coat thoroughly. If mixture is very hot, cool until just warm, then add eggs and toss to coat. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Transfer stuffing to baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until hot throughout and lightly browned on top, 30-35 minutes. Servings: 8. Cals.: 377. Protein: 13 g. Fat: 18 g. (7 g. saturated). Chol.: 79 mg. Carbs.: 42 g. Sodium: 817 mg. Fiber: 1 g. Sugar: 18 g. Kitchen time: 30 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes.