Thanksgiving Dressing

My mother's kitchen was always abuzz on holidays.  She would rise early to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey, generously filled with homemade stuffing.  Holidays were filled with guests in our home, whether family from distance parts of the country or friends from church who needed a warm, comforting place to gather on specials days.  I believe it is worth the extra effort to prepare dressing from scratch, the old fashioned way.  This recipe requires effort over two days for best results. If you use this recipe, let me know how it turns out.

Large loaf of bread, sliced (I use Panera's Country Miche sliced thin)
2C celery, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/4C sage (to taste)
4C vegetable broth
salt

The night before:  cut crust off bread slices.  Cut white part of slices into 1/2 inch cubes.  Toast the cubes in the oven at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool and set aside or bag.  Note:  the crusts can be toasted and crushed for breadcrumbs.

Morning preparation:  Saute celery, onion, and carrots until soft (mix is called "mirepoix."  Mix in sage.  Put croutons in a large bowl.  Stir in mirepoix until cubes are well coated.  Heat broth.  Pour heated broth one cup at a time over coated croutons and stir well.  Keep adding broth until desired consistency is reached.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.