Stuffing with Mushrooms, Sausage and Bacon

My Dad makes an amazing stuffing every year that's filled with all sorts of goodies, including oysters, wild rice, mushrooms, bacon and sausage to name a few. I love my Dad's stuffing but decided to make it a little different this year. I used a stuffing mix and added some mushrooms, bacon, turkey sausage, onions, celery and chestnuts. I don't stuff my bird with stuffing but bake it in a separate dish instead. It was moist and delicious with a ton of great flavors and textures. We all really enjoyed it.

• 8 oz of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1/2 can of water chestnuts, diced
• 6 turkey sausages, cooked and sliced
• 4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 tbsp butter
• Stuffing mix of your choice (I used Trader Joe's)
• 3 3/4 cup water or chicken stock (I used stock)

Cook sausage and bacon in separate pans. Reserve 1-2 tsp of bacon grease in the pan and add the onions, celery and mushrooms then sauté until soft and tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the seasoning packet (included with the stuffing mix) with the broth and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil for 3-5 minutes. Place croutons in a large bowl along with onion, celery and mushroom mixture and the bacon, sausage and chestnuts. Pour liquid over the mixture and toss lightly until evenly coated. Spoon into a casserole dish that's been coated in olive oil cooking spray. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp the top. Fluff and serve. Enjoy.

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