Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

to turn a store bought stuffing into gourmet (best with pepperidge farms)
saute some sausage pieces till brown
add onion till soft or light brown
then add celery and thyme
add butter if necessary
add to store-bought mix as directed on the package.
use home-made turkey stock for best results.
if you prefer bacon to sausage that's fine.
you can also add walnuts and/or raisins.
happy thanksgiving.

As I contemplated the beginning process for my stuffing, which included choosing between cubed or regular Pepperidge Farm seasonsed stuffing, my husband told me how his grandmother made hers fresh, and walked me through the process and down memory lane. While I'm sure it was delicious and the memory is precious, my mother used Pepperidge Farm and I loved it. She made two versions, one with mushrooms, which you should definitely add to your list, and the other with the turkey giblets, which you should also add to your list. She would cook the neck, liver, heart, etc. and before cutting it up, let us have a taste. Amazing how much flavor they added, and how great they tasted considering.

Next year I plan to make two stuffing dishes, one from homemade stuffing, the other Pepperidge Farm. I personally doubt my family will be able to tell the difference, and if they can, I wonder which one they will prefer without knowing which is which.