Ingredients

• Brioche bread
• 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions, leeks or scallions
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Pears, cut into small chunks and sauteed in butter
• 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup roughly chopped almonds

Instructions

1. Chop the brioche bread into 1/2-inch cubes to make 16 cups. Stale bread works best for stuffing-if yours is fresh, spread out the cubes on baking sheet and dry in a 300 degrees F oven, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Heat 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth; bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
3. Beat the eggs and parsley in a large bowl; stir in the bread cubes, the vegetable-broth mixture, the prepared pears, sausage and almonds.
4. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-to-4-quart baking dish and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 20 more minutes.
5. Photograph by Yunhee Kim