Italian Chard Dressing

Ingredients

• 3/4 loaf (3/4 lb.) French bread
• 2 cups nonfat milk
• 2 pounds Italian sausages
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1 onion (about 6 oz.), peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 packages (10 oz. each) thawed frozen Swiss chard
• Salt

Preparation

1. 1. Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices in a bowl and add milk. Mix gently with a spoon to saturate with milk and let stand about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. 2. Meanwhile, place a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. Squeeze sausages from casings into pan. Discard casings. Stir meat often to crumble and lightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes; discard fat. Add parsley, garlic, onion, and celery. Stir often until vegetables are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. 3. With your hands, squeeze bread slices to break them into tiny pieces. Add cooked meat mixture, cheese, basil, sage, and rosemary.
4. 4. Squeeze moisture from chard and add to bowl. Mix dressing and add salt to taste.
5. 5. Spoon into a shallow 3-quart (9- by 13-in.) casserole. For moist dressing, cover with foil; for crusty dressing, do not cover. Bake in a 325° to 350° oven (use temperature turkey requires) until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes (1 hour if dressing is chilled).