Sausage and Herb Stuffing

UPDATED: it's now 2019 and I've done Thanksgiving for 9 years now - so we're in a sweet spot. My son (now 16) makes the dressing, my 11 year old makes the mashed potatoes, my husband does the smoked turkey and I'm just left with the rolls, gravy and brussels sprouts - it's a breeze! I should also mention my mother in law also makes a traditional turkey and stuffing and my sister in law makes a salad and does the sweet potatoes.

Sausage and Herb Stuffing
16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced bok choy
3 bins of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs sweet sausage and spicy sausage
1 cup chicken stock

*try using 1/2 stick more butter, poultry seasoning, 2 t fresh rosemary and 2 T fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, bok choy, mushrooms, parsley, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.

In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

A FEW NOTES:
In doing my research, all the 'foodies' on the food network, cookbooks, etc. The 'newschool' way of thinking is NOT to stuff the turkey. Logic being that stuffing the bird brings down the temp of the oven, and by the time the stuffing is done, the turkey has been over cooked and is dried out. SO... I followed the rules and was VERY pleased with the outcome.

*I used a great cheat this year. My local grocery (Harmons) has stale bread already diced up for you! I bought 2 bags.

**I use bok choy instead of celery due to an allergy