1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2lb Bacon, cooked and diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 stalk finely chopped Leek
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking
dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard. Cut
remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely
packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic;
toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring
occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very
large bowl.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add
mushrooms, onion, celery, and leek. sauté until soft and juices
have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables, bacon, and parsley to
bread cubes.
Whisk milk, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in
large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer stuffing to
prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over. DO AHEAD Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.
