New England Stuffing

This year for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make homemade stuffing.  My mom always used the stuff in the box, so that is what I had always used in the past.  Talking to coworkers at lunch on day resulted in the discovery of this great recipe!  There is so much flexibility in the recipe, feel free to adjust the measurements to suit your taste.

8 cups sourdough bread, cubed and toasted
1 pound slab bacon cubed
1/2 C butter
2 onions
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped or shredded
1/2 C chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme, parsley, and sage)
1-2 C chicken stock


Preheat oven to 325.
Toast the bread cubes for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown.
Transfer to a large bowl. 
Sauté the bacon in skillet over medium heat until brown (about 5-10 minutes). 
Transfer the meat to the bowl with the bread. 
In the same skillet, melt the butter. 
Add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots to skillet. 
Sauté until the vegetables are soft (about 10 minutes). 
Combine the softened vegetables, herbs, and spices with bread/meat mixture. 
Lightly pack the stuffing into a large shallow bowl or casserole pan.
Drizzle with just enough stock to moisten bread mixture.
Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. 
Uncover and brown an additional 10 minutes.

*Slightly adapted from Alisha Adams.