Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the panettone into 3/4-inch squares and place in large bowl. Melt half
of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and continue to cook until
light brown, about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add half the sage.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sage butter over the bread and toss gently but swiftly. Spread out on 2 cooking sheets and place in the oven
until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place
back into the bowl.
Meanwhile, place the dried fruit in a large bowl; add boiling water to cover and then set aside for at least 10 minutes. This will plump and soften the
fruit for cooking. Drain fruit once plumped.
Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Melt the remaining butter and add onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté on medium-low heat until soft. Add dried fruit and remaining sage. Toss into cooled croutons. Gently toss and add chicken broth to moisten; add more broth if you like a softer stuffing. Stir in beaten eggs now, if using. Adjust
salt and pepper, to your liking. Turn out into an oven-proof casserole.
Bake uncovered until golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.

Or, maybe some folks are sick and tired of thinking about, hearing about,
reading about, watching chefs make stuffings/dressings. Yet another fine
opportunity in disguise, my friend! I can hardly wait to try Chef Chiarello's

Autumn Panzanella
Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
"Country Thanksgiving"

Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Croutons:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
12 cups crust-free cubed day-old bread
(1/2-inch cubes)*
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freahly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water

Salad:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms,
thickly sliced or quartered
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery heart (on the diagonal)
plus some chopped leaves
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced, onion-soup style
2 ounces baby arugula or spinach leaves
Grated Parmesan

For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until
it foams.
In a large bowl, pour the butter over the 12 cups cubed bread and toss
to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Toss
to season all of the bread,
Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until
the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft
within, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
Croutons can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container.

*Michael's Notes: I use a serrated knife to remove the crust from day-old bread, then switch to a chef's knife to cut to cubes because it doesn't tear the bread.
Also note that I recommend grating the Parmesan finely so that it will stick to
the bread better.

For the dressing: Melt the butter in a small skillet over moderately low
heat. Add the yellow onion and sauté until soft, about 15 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and stir with a wooden spoon to
release any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil, then the water.
Transfer to a bowl and season with Salt and pepper.
For the salad: Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add 1/4 cup
olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke, sprinkle in the mushrooms. Don't
stir! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2
minutes. If you toss them too soon, they will release their liquid and begin
to steam. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss the mushrooms, reduce
the heat to moderate, and continue to cook until well browned. Stir in the
thyme and garlic and cook for about 1 minute to release their fragrance.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl combine the croutons, the mushrooms, and the onion
dressing. Toss well to coat. Add the celery, red onion, and arugula or
spinach and toss again gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Grate
fresh Parmesan on top and serve immediately.

If you liked that one, you're just gonna love this one...

Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Everyday Italian, "Thanksgiving for Two"

Serves: 2 to 3 servings
[Feel free to double or triple, as you like.]

8 ounces cornbread, cut into cubes
(about 2 cups)
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup cubed fontina cheese
1/2 cup cubed cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine.
Place in a serving bowl and serve.

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Featured Archive Recipes:
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Holiday Stuffing (Dressing) Recipes
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Thanksgiving Dinner from Food & Wine
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Turkey Roll
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with Stuffing (James Beard)
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"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into
enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a
home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~ Melody Beattie