Old-Fashioned Oyster Dressing with Sausage, Mushrooms & Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 lb. mild, sweet or hot Italian sausage, cooked and cut up to 1/2 - 1" crumbles
• 2 Tbl. fat from sausage
• 1 sweet vidalia onion, large dice
• 4 ribs celery, sliced
• 6 strips quality lean thick-cut bacon, snipped into 1" pieces
• 1 Tbl. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. ground dried sage
• 1 tsp. dried thyme, crush between fingers when adding
• 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1 (8 oz. pkg.) sliced button mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, run through press or finely chopped
• 2 Tbl. chopped celery leaves
• 1 stick butter, cut up
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. Creole Seasoning
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning, to taste
• 1 (12 oz.) bag unseasoned un-toasted fresh bread cubes, lightly toasted and dried in oven
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 extra large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 (16 oz.) can whole boiled oysters, drained well
• 2-4 Tbl. butter, cut up to dot top, as desired
• (plus a little butter for greasing baking dish)