Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

one pound loaf French bread, diced into 1-inch cubes and allowed to dry out for about 12 hours
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 extra-large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small (about 2 cups)
1 cup celery, diced small
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary (sticks discarded), finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh sage (stems discarded), finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (sticks discarded), finely minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound ground Italian sausage (I used hot but you can use mild; sausasge should be raw and the not precooked type)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, or to taste

Directions

Place bread inside a 6-quart slow cooker that’s been lined with a slow cooker liner or sprayed with cooking spray. Allow bread to dry out and become stale for about 12 hours (overnight).

The next day, add the butter, onion, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, chicken broth and stir to combine.

Evenly crumble the raw sausage in small, bite-sized pieces over the bread mixture.

Cover and cook on low for about 4 to 5 hours, or until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through. All slow cookers vary in their intensity so cook until done.

Stir the sausage into the bread mixture, taste, and check for seasoning balance. Add more salt, pepper, or additional herbs if desired, to taste.

Add the parsley and stir to incorporate. Cover and cook for 5 minutes before serving.