Country Stuffing with mushroom giblet gravy for Thanksgiving

This is a Paula Deen recipe that we made in 2004 and have made it almost every Thanksgiving since. Its excellent. I don't have pictures to post but this year we having an old fashioned Thanksgiving where everyone will be involved in the cooking of every dish. It will be 100% hands on, if you want to eat! So pictures to come because we are making this dish!

2 loaves dry white bread
2 c cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage
2 c chopped celery
1 large onion chopped
7 c chicken stock
1 T salt
15 twists fresh ground pepper
1 t dried sage leaves
1 T poultry seasoning
3 eggs beaten
2 T butter, melted

Mushroom giblet gravy - recipe to follow

Preheat the oven to 350. Crumble dry white bread into large bowl. Add the cooked rice and crushed saltines.

Cook the pork sausage in a large sauce pan until it starts to brown. Add celery and onion and saute until transparent, 5-10 minutes. Pour over the bread and rice mixture. Add stock and mix well. Add salt, pepper, sage and poultry seasoning.  Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and melted butter. Reserve 2 T of stuffing mixture for the mushroom giblet gravy.  Pour stuffing into a greased pan and bake until golden brown about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Giblet Gravy:

4 cups turkey or chicken stock
Giblets of 1 turkey
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 T reserved stuffing mixture
3 T cornstarch
1/3 c cold water
2 pints button mushrooms, sliced
3 T butter
1 hard boiled egg sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring stock and giblets to a boil. Add bouillon and reserved stuffing mixture. Make a slurry by mixing together the cornstarch and cold water. Add to the boiling stock. Cook 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms until browned in the butter. Add mushrooms to the gravy with egg. Salt and Pepper to taste.