Thanksgiving Stuffing

I went to a Thanksgiving cooking demo last month taught by a Chef in our ward and learned lots of really fun things and picked up a bunch of new recipes to try out. So this year I decided to use one of those recipes and take a new kind of stuffing as one of my dishes. (As bad as it is, I have always loved the regular stouffers stuffing straight from a box, so the fact that I opted to forego my long standing favorite in favor of this new option is saying something.) This recipe is more like a savory bread pudding than a traditional stuffing, and it may seem a bit odd at first, but it is well worth the effort!

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4-5 leaves chopped sage

Zest from 1 orange

4 eggs

2 C heavy cream

Salt and pepper

3/4 loaf day old/slightly dried challah bread, cubed (you can substitute croissants, but the challah is awesome!)

Slivered raw almonds

Dried cranberries

In a medium sauce pan, sweat two ribs of celery and one onion in butter till soft, seasoned with a dash of salt to taste and help the sweating. You aren't trying to caramelize the onions, but you want them cooked through.

After the celery and onions are done, remove from heat and add chopped sage, orange zest, eggs, and cream, with a touch of salt and pepper. Mix well.

Dump in cubed challah, day old or slightly dry. Add dried cranberries and mix well. Scoop into a 9x9 baking dish (I used a deep dish pie pan to make it pretty) and top liberally with slivered almonds. Sausage can be used in lieu of almonds and cranberries, and seasonings can be changed up as desired (rosemary would have been amazing!)

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, till set, and serve. Don't expect leftovers!