Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Loaf of Bread chopped into 1'' cubes
• 10 Broccoli Rabe Stalks
• 4 tbsp Butter,
• 1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage casings removed
• 1 1/2 cups Onion diced
• 2 stalks Celery sliced
• 10 fresh Sage Leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp Thyme fresh, chopped
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Broth

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Spread the chopped bread onto a baking sheet, place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is crispy. Leave the oven set to 350ºF.
3. While the bread is baking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli rabe and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and submerge the broccoli rabe into an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain, then chop into bite-size pieces.
4. In a large frying pan, heat the butter on medium. Add the sausage, onions, celery, mushrooms, sage, and thyme, breaking up the meat into small pieces as you cook. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and the sausage is cooked through. Add the cooked chopped broccoli rabe to the sausage mixture and combine. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a 13x9” rectangular pan, combine the bread with the broccoli rabe sausage mixture. Pour in the broth and combine. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, until the bread is crunchy and the underneath moist. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
6. The stuffing can be made the night before, and then reheated in the oven at 350ºF for 15 minutes before serving.
7. Can be stored in the fridge covered for up to 5 days.