Rustic Ciabatta Stuffing

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Tear ciabatta rolls into 1 inch pieces. Spread ciabatta pieces on a baking sheet and bake until completely dried, 20 minutes. Allow the dried bread to cool. TIP: Skip this step if you dried the ciabatta the previous night.

Heat oven to 400°F. Add bouillon cube and 1 cup water to a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until stock boils, and reduce heat to low. Peel and finely dice the onion. Trim and finely dice the celery. Peel and mince the garlic. Remove sausages from casing and crumble into 1 inch pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crumbled sausage and cook until browned in places, 3 to 5 minutes. Add diced onion, diced celery, and minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the root vegetable blend to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add butter, stir until melted, and transfer sausage vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add stock and dried ciabatta pieces, and gently fold mixture. Add salt and pepper as necessary.

Coat an 8x8 baking dish with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add stuffing mixture, cover tightly with foil, and bake until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown and crisp on top, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve family style. TIP: “Set” means the stuffing is fully cooked and doesn’t jiggle when you shake the dish.