Basic Bread Stuffing

Here in Canada, we're celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. So I'm pulling out all my family favourite recipes. Here's the one I use for my stuffing. It's very much in demand every year. Actually, my family prefers the stuffing over the turkey.

Basic Stuffing

12 cups bread
1 lb bacon
3 cups chopped onion
3 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons dried sage leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread bread cubes on 2 baking sheets. Bake until bread cubes are dry and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Transfer bread to large bowl.

Sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp.
Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from skillet.

Add chopped onion and celery to skillet and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add sage, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture over bread cubes.

Add bacon and toss to blend.

Mix in 2 cups broth. (Stuffing can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

Beat eggs and baking powder in small bowl to blend.

Mix eggs into stuffing; moisten stuffing with more broth if stuffing is dry.

Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake stuffing until cooked through and golden brown on top, about 1 hour.