Uncle Tom's Stuffing

Toast the bread in a toaster oven (if you are using the 'dense' rice bread you will need to set the oven for top brown, and do it twice, but be sure to watch so you don't burn the bread!), and allow to cool.

Dice onions, put into hot butter (about 1 tbsp) and sauté for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile chop remaining vegetables (except for the mushrooms), and add them to the mix. Stir every 5 minutes until most of the water is absorbed. Pan should be very hot when doing this.

Remove vegetables from the pan, put in a heat proof bowl. Chop the mushrooms (coarsely) I just bisect the mushrooms lengthwise then bisect again). and then allow the pan to come up to heat again (I like to use medium high), and add more butter/oil (about 3 tsp or so). Sauté the mushrooms for about 10 minutes until they are brown and done.

Remove the mushrooms, and add the 3 meats to the pan, ensuring some oil is there prior to adding it. I like to chop up the meat (if it is lose sausage) with a nice metal spatula until it is well distributed in the pan. Otherwise the sausage tends to clump. Once this is done, let sausage brown for about 5 minutes, stir, brown for 5 minutes, stir. De glaze the pan by using about 1/4 c. stock.

While sausage is browning, cut bread into cubes, and put into the mixture. Stir well. Once this is done add about 1 c. of chicken stock, and remaining spices (season salt to taste depending on what stock has for salt content). Stir well to combine, and leave to brown (I turn down the heat at this point to avoid burning) and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to avoid burning.

Serve hot.