Mom's Thanksgiving Stuffing

• 1 pkg (12 oz) Pepperidge Farm Cubed Herb Stuffing (red package)
• 2 lb Johnsonville ground Italian sausage, hot (caseless)
• ~5 big carrots, chopped
• 1 bunch celery, roughly chopped
• ~1 cup mushrooms, chopped or food processsed
• ~2 cup chicken/vegetable broth
• ~3/4 lb almonds (most of a 1 lb sack)
• 1 stick butter
• Poultry seasoning
• Sage

Note: everything short of baking can be done ahead of time in the morning so you just have to chuck the pan in when the turkey comes out. These directions supersede the stuffing package directions.

Put stuffing into one or two large mixing bowls. Leave plenty of headroom for mixing without spillage.

Do the following three things concurrently:

1. Brown the sausage.
2. If using bouillon to make broth, do that in pot, otherwise heat liquid broth in pot. Add 1/2 stick of butter.
3. Saute celery and carrots covered in 1/2 stick of butter. After 6-8 minutes, add mushrooms and continue to saute covered. When done, season with salt and pepper.

When the above is done, add veggies, sausage, and almonds to the stuffing bowl(s). Add the butter/broth mixture a bit at a time, mixing thoroughly, so that stuffing absorbs the fluid fully. Don't add so much that it gets soggy. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, salt and pepper.

Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This can be done the moment the turkey comes out to time things right.