Old fashioned stuffing recipe but I cook it as a ‘dressing’ rather than stuffing a turkey. For one reason it’s safer (temperature-wise) and the turkey cooks faster if it’s not stuffed. If you stuff a turkey the stuffing needs to reach 165° to kill any bacteria, but that means the turkey is well past 185°, overcooked and dry. The spice that makes this dressing the bomb is Penzy’s Poultry seasoning, penzys.com, it’s definitely my go to herb blend!
The day before you make the dressing tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and place on a baking sheet, set atop your stove for the bread to dry out slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallots, celery, salt, and pepper, and sauté until tender and translucent.
Place the bread into a large bowl and pour the vegetable mixture onto the bread cubes, add the poultry seasoning and parsley and toss lightly until coated. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock & toss again, the bread cubes should be fairly wet, if not add more stock and mix well until it is wet.
Before you add the eggs, taste the dressing, and adjust any seasoning. Then add the eggs and mix in well. *For a heartier dressing add Melissa's Steamed and Peeled Chestnuts (chop them into bite sized pieces and mix in). See link below.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes to crisp the top a bit.