Mushroom Cashew Stuffing Recipe

8 cups 1/2-inch cubes white sandwich bread
1/4 cup butter
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups roasted, unsalted cashews (halves and pieces)
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toast the bread cubes on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes, until evenly golden, turning once. Transfer the bread cubes to a large mixing bowl. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Sauté the onion, red pepper, celery, and mushrooms. Add the salt and pepper. When the vegetables are tender, add them to the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, stir together the cashews, rosemary, nutmeg, broth, and eggs. Add the nut mixture to the bread mixture. When well mixed, transfer to the baking dish. Bake, covered, for about 1 hour. If you desire a browned top, remove the cover for the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Tips From Our Test Kitchen:
For a more intense chicken flavor, dissolve 2 chicken bouillon cubes into the broth. Add about 2 cups of chopped chicken to make this a very hearty dish.