Ingredients

  • 1 (20 ounce) package of italian sweet sausages
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • water, divided
  • 2 small-medium onions, chopped
  • 4 -5 celery ribs, well-trimmed, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage
  • salt and fresh pepper
  • 1 cup Chardonnay wine or 1 cup other dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 lbs loaf white bread, ends discarded, trimmed of crusts, cubed, baked in the oven, at 350 for ten minutes

Method

  • Skin sausage. Heat a 12-inch saute pan with oil, over medium high heat. Crumble in meat. Cook stirring often till a fond develops on the bottom of the pan, the sausage may stick a little. Deglaze with a few tablespoons water.
  • Cook the meat, stirring occasionally, still, over medium-high heat, until it gets quite brown, it may need to be deglazed, a second time. Remove from heat, retrieving sausage with a slotted spoon, reserving rendered fat in pan, there may only be a little, that is okay, it isn't necessary to add more.
  • Put back over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and sprinkle with salt.
  • Cook until the onion turns a light shade of gold, if the bottom of the pan is dark, deglaze with a few more spoons of water. Make sure to evaporate liquids, then keep sauteing as needed. Stir in the garlic powder, sage, and liberal grinds of black pepper.
  • Stir till fragrant, then add sausage, with drippings, back to pan, add wine and deglaze thoroughly, make sure that liquid gets fully evaporated, the fat will sizzle in the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, bring just to the simmer and remove from heat.
  • Taste the mixture, add salt if nessecary. Stir in the bread. Turn until thoroughly but lightly moistened, more liquid is not required.
  • Put the mixture into an ungreased (or lightly greased), 9x13 or 9x12 inch baking dish and set into the middle level or upper-middle level of a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.