4 Cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth - can substitute low-sodium vegetable stock if desired
8 Tbs (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
1 Large Onion - diced
4 Stalks Celery - thin sliced
2 Large cloves Fresh Garlic - minced
½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley - small chopped
1 Tbs Fresh Sage - minced
1 Tbs Fresh Thyme Leaves - minced
½ Tbs Fresh Rosemary - minced
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
-OPTIONAL-
2 Eggs - beaten
Preparation:
THE DAY BEFORE MAKING:tear or slice the bread into ¼ inch 'cubes' and spread on a baking sheet - Leave overnight (minimum 10 hours) to dry out*
Once the bread has dried out and you are ready to make the stuffing/dressing, preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a large casserole or baking dish
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat - Once melted, add onion and celery and sauté until soft and fragrant (apx 8 minutes)
Add garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary to the skillet and thoroughly combine - Continue to sauté for 1 minute - Season with salt and pepper to taste
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl - Add the bread 'cubes' and toss to combine
Whisk together the eggs (if using) and chicken broth until thoroughly combined - Pour over the bread/skillet mixture - Season generously with salt and pepper - Toss until thoroughly combined and all of the bread is 'coated'
Transfer to the buttered casserole or baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil
Place in the top third of the oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes
After the 45 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake until the bread is golden brown (apx 15 minutes more)
Serve hot
*As an alternative, you can bake the bread 'cubes' at 200ºF for 20 minutes to dry them out