Classic Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing

I think one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. I crave it through out the year. In my family growing up we always had Stove Top...easy and when you have a large family quick and easy is what you do. I married a man whose mother cooked from scratch and made homemade stuffing and even stuffed the bird.... I admit... I had never seen a stuffed turkey until I got married. I don't stuff the turkey anymore but was always looking for ways to up my recipe... meaning up the flavor.... I loved this recipe... will keep for my go to from now on. You could omit the sausage if you like but I LOVED the mushrooms and other flavors. and put any little tweak on it you like. I don't quite use that much butter since the sausage has some fat in it....

Classic Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, cut into pieces, divided, plus more

10 cups coarsely torn sourdough bread, dried out overnight (I dried mine in the oven at about 200 degrees until dried out)
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 small container of sliced mushrooms, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons  a mix of fresh chopped sage, rosemary and Thyme ) or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups turkey or chicken stock (preferably homemade), plus more

To make the stuffing:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and set aside.
• Place bread in a large bowl.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the grease. Then add to the bowl  with bread.
• Add Mushrooms to the skillet with the sausage fat and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown and the liquid has evaporated (may take a little longer depending on your mushrooms. 
• Then, add onions, celery, and herbs to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with bread.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook wine in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted. Drizzle over bread mixture.
• Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.
• Cover with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray ; bake for about 30–35 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!