A festive bread stuffing with cooked and crumbled sweet Italian sausage, sautéed onion, celery, tart green apple and dried cranberries.

Cranberry, Sausage and Apple Stuffing

12 cups dried bread cubes

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1/4 cup butter

4 cups chopped onions

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 cups chopped celery

2 to 3 tart green apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

2 teaspoons chopped dried rosemary

1 1/3 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook sausage, crumbling, in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage to a large mixing bowl with a slotted spoon. Drain grease from skillet.
2. Into the same skillet, melt the butter; add the onions, apples, celery and poultry seasoning; sauté until softened. Stir in the rosemary and dried cranberries. Add mixture to sausage in bowl, add the dried bread cubes and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and moisten with the chicken stock.
3. Stuff turkey with about 5 cups for a 14 pound turkey. Add additional chicken stock to moisten stuffing, if needed. Remaining stuffing can be baked in a covered, greased baking dish at 350°F (175°C) for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes to brown top.

Makes 12 servings.