Bread And Butter Stuffing With Fresh Sage Recipe

The night before cooking, spread all the bread out in a single layer on sheet pans or towels and allow to dry out overnight.

The next morning, in a large bowl, break the bread into coarse 1-1/2 inch pieces (Don't worry about being precise)

Cut the sage leaves into thin strips

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, making sure not to burn it. Add the celery, onions and apple and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the stock or water. Increase the heat to moderate and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture over the bread. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add the leaves to the bread mixture. Add the sage to the bread mixture. Add the raisins, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Either stuff a 14-16 pound turkey with the mixture and roast immediately, or put the mixture in a large roasting pan and cover with foil. If baking separately, bake the stuffing in a 375F oven, covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake for another 30 min and serve alongside roast turkey.