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Sausage & Herb Stuffing

2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound chicken gizzards/hearts (chopped into ¼ inch cubes)
1 cup butter (2 stick)
3 cups onion, chopped (into ¼ inch cubes)
2 cups celery, chopped (into ¼ inch cubes)
1 cup shallots, chopped (into ¼ inch cubes)
2 loaves french bread
2 cups chicken stock, plus extra as needed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, chopped fine
2 teaspoons dried tarragon, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1. Add a little olive oil to a large skillet under medium heat. Saute sausage, gizzards, hearts until cooked through, crumbling sausage into bite-size pieces as you go, about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Transfer sausage, gizzards, hearts with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Discard sausage fat in pan. Add butter, onions, and celery to skillet and saute until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add to sausage, along with herbs and croutons, mix to combine.
4. Add chicken stock, if necessary. You’re looking for a consistency that is very moist, but not soupy. Transfer stuffing to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
You can check the stuffing half way through the bake to make sure there is enough liquid. If it's too dry, add some extra stock, if it's too moist, cook it a bit longer with the foil removed.

This recipe is killer. You can't stop eating it. It's that good. I've made it in both a big Corningware dish and in my #14 Griswold cast iron skillet.

The friend I got the recipe from also has a big Griswold that gets dedicated to this recipe every Thanksgiving.