SAUSAGE, PECAN AND CRANBERRY STUFFING

Ingredients

• 1 lb (0.5 kg) pork sausage meat or pork sausages, casings removed
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups sliced celery
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sage, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp rosemary, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp marjoram, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp thyme, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 12 cups bread cubes, lightly toasted
• 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (10 oz/284 mL) chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook sausage in a frypan over medium heat, stirring to break up sausage, until browned, about 5 - 7 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon; drain sausage on paper towels and set aside. Drain off excess fat from frypan. Add butter to frypan and melt over medium heat. Stir in onions and celery; sauté until softened. Add apple and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sage, rosemary, marjoram, pepper, thyme and parsley.
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in sausage, bread cubes, pecans and cranberries.
4. Whisk together eggs and broth until blended. Add to bread mixture and stir until combined.
5. Spoon mixture into a greased shallow 4 quart baking dish.
6. Bake, covered, until heated through, about 45 - 50 minutes.