Thanksgiving French Bread Stuffing

Okay, so today is Thanksgiving, so you really can't make this for today's meal, but hey, who's to say you won't have another Thanksgiving meal this weekend, later this year, or next year? And besides, stuffing is a year-round side dish right?

Either way, this tasty dish is prepared rather simply, and there is much more feeling of accomplishment when this pops out of the oven, than when Stovetop pops out of the microwave :)

2 loaves store-bought French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

5-6 slices of bacon, diced

1 white onion, diced

5 celery stalks, diced

3-4 cups chicken broth

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. Poultry seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

The day before, place the cut French bread onto baking sheets to dry out overnight. Be sure to lay out in a single layer. On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 350 °F. In a skillet, fry the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the drippings. Saute the onion and celery in the drippings until soft, then set aside with the bacon. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the chicken broth. In a very large bowl, place the dry, crusty bread cubes and with your hands partially crush the cubes. Note: You do not want to fully crush the bread or you will get stuffing mush. The partial crushing provides enough crumbs to act as binding in the stuffing when it is moist and baked. Add the liquid to the bread cubes and massage with your hands until bread is moist, but no liquid settles to the bottom of the bowl. Add the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and massage into bread cubes. Taste for satisfactory seasoning level, then place in a greased, 13" x 9" pan and bake in the oven, uncovered for 35-50 minutes to desired doneness (some folks like a soft top, some like it crusty).

Hope you can enjoy this delicious stuffing with your family over the holiday season!