Yield: Serves 12 (makes 10 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  pound  crimini mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed, and sliced
• 3-4  tablespoons  butter
• 1.5  onions, chopped
• 1  cup  chopped celery
• 4  tablespoons  minced garlic
• About 2 cups  chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1  loaf (1 lb.) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-in. cubes, lightly toast in oven
• 2  jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I would use frozen artichoke hearts if you can’t find fresh and then you wouldn’t get all the generic “marinade” of the jarred variety – chop to size found in jars)
• 1 1/2  cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup fresh poultry seasoning-herbs
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  minced fresh rosemary leaves  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1  large egg, beaten 

Preparation

1. Place bread on baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven at 425 for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. In a 12-in. frying pan over medium heat saute onions and celery in 2 tbsp of butter. When vegetables look slightly soft, add garlic and saute for about a minute until fragrant. Pour into a large bowl.  Add 2 more tbsp of butter to the same pan and brown the mushrooms.  Try not to crowd them so they don’t steam.  When soft, add to other vegetables in bowl.  Add a bit of broth to pan and deglaze pan, scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

2. Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg with a fork or whisk pour into dressing mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 325° to 350°  Spoon stuffing into a buttered shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes to make the top a little crusty.

Variations:  Brown bacon or prosciutto in pan then saute vegetables in drippings.  Add crisp chopped bacon before baking.