Mom’s (Jane’s) Stuffing

Cut the bread into cubes. Put the bread onto rimmed sheet pan(s) in an even layer and dry it in a 300 F oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and set it on a rack. Let it cool completely and then place it in a large bowl.

When you are ready to prepare the stuffing, preheat oven to 350 F

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and saute them, stirring occasionally, until soft. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the spices, salt and pepper and stir until fragrant. This will take about one minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the room temperature chicken stock. This will help cool down the veggie mix so you can add the eggs and not cook them.

When the broth mixture is cool enough, mix in the eggs. Pour it all over the bread in the large bowl and toss together. It should not be too gooey and should hold together. Add additional chicken stock if it seems too dry.

I usually cook up a sample in the microwave to taste test. Then adjust seasoning.

Spoon the stuffing mixture into a 13×9-inch casserole dish or baking pan and spread it evenly. Dot the top with pats of butter if desired.

Note: If desired, you can refrigerate at this point and bake it the next day.

Cover the stuffing with foil and bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes longer (for a crunchy top). If you prefer your stuffing to be soft and wet, leave it covered. I prefer crunchy on top.