Ciabatta Stuffing

SOAK: Meanwhile, fill a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with 3¾ cups warm water. Stir in demi-glace and dried cranberries. Set aside.

PREP: Finely dice celery. Halve, peel, and mince shallots. Peel and mince 3 cloves garlic. Finely chop sage leaves until you have 2 TBSP. Strip thyme leaves from stems; chop leaves until you have 1 TBSP. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 TBSP butter.

COOK: Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage* and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Stir in 3 TBSP butter until melted, then add celery, shallots, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are slightly softened and sausage is cooked through, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, chopped sage, and chopped thyme. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Pour in cranberries and soaking liquid, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn off heat.

MIX: Crack eggs into a small bowl; beat until blended. (You can also crack eggs into the liquid measuring cup or bowl from step 2.) In a large bowl, thoroughly combine toasted ciabattas with sausage and veggie mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool 1-2 minutes, then stir in beaten eggs until evenly distributed. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Dice 2 TBSP butter into small pieces; scatter on top of stuffing.