Whether your guests are omnivores, vegetarians, or vegan, this recipe works by making the following shifts.
For omnivores, substitute 1 pound of bulk Italian sausage, cooked until brown, for the vegetarian sausages called for in this recipe.
For vegetarians, follow the recipe as it is written.
For vegans, whisk 2 tablespoons of vegan egg replacer instead of two eggs into the broth.
PrintThe Best Classic Bread Stuffing For Everyone
- Yield: 10-12 1x
Ingredients
1 pound crusty Italian or French bread, torn into bite-size pieces (10 to 12 cups)
2 cups fresh bread crumbs from a crusty French or Italian loaf (a food processor fitted with the steel blade works well)
12 ounces frozen vegetarian sausage patties (Morning Star is my favorite brand)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 medium celery stalks cut into medium dice (1 cup)
1½ cups golden raisins
⅓ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/ 4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups cartoned vegetable broth
2 large eggs (or 2 tablespoons vegan egg replacer to make it vegan)
Instructions
Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed cookie sheet and bread crumbs on a small rimmed cookie sheet; let dry several hours or overnight. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread cubes until toasty, 12 to 15 minutes. (Do not toast crumbs.) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet; add sausages and cook, turning once, until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausages from skillet, cool slightly, and then cut them into small dice. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add onions and celery; sauté until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Mix bread, sausages, sautéed onions and celery, raisins, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk broth and eggs (or egg replacer); add to stuffing mixture and toss to coat.
Turn into a 3-quart greased baking dish (a 13- by 9-inch works well). Cover with foil and bake until steamy hot, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake until top is crusty, about 10 minutes longer. Serve.
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