Sausage Apple & Dried Cranberry Stuffing

This stuffing is the family favourite. The key is the fresh ingredients and home baked bread cubes along with turkey broth. I prefer to use the broth from the cooked turkey instead of chicken broth. See my recipe for Buttery Turkey on Zaar. You get the same results as if you baked the stuffing in the turkey with less mess and effort !!! Another recipe from Bon Appetit Nov 94.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 18 Cups, about

Ingredients

• 12  cups  white bread, cut into small cubes (1 1/2 loaves Dempster's sesame white bread = 12 cups)
• 1⁄2 lb  sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 3  large leeks, finely chopped cut only white and pale green parts
• 2  large tart green apples, finely chopped (cored and peeled)
• 2  cups  finely chopped celery
• 4  teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 4  teaspoons  finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
• 1  egg, beaten & blended
• 1 -1 1⁄4 cup turkey broth

Directions

1. Discard the end pieces of bread. Then remove the crust off bread and cut into even sized cubes.
2. In a 350 degree, oven bake the bread cubes until slightly dry, about 15 minutes NOTE: Watch the first batch so you know how long your oven takes, different types of bread takes less time or more time.
3. Cool completely; set aside.
4. (I bake these ahead by a few days or weeks, prefer making my own, you can buy store bought if you like).
5. Saute & break up sausages in a large, heavy pan until cooked through.
6. Remove and drain sausage.
7. Pour off drippings from pan and add butter, melt, then add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning, saute until leeks are soft, about 8 minutes.
8. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary.
9. Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl, add sausage, then bread, season with salt and pepper.
10. (You can make onion mixture 1 day ahead and refrigerate covered, bring to room temperature and mix in the beaten eggs, with the turkey broth and bread cubes.) Or if completing the same day add the beaten eggs, mix well, wait 15 mins and add the turkey broth.
11. Transfer to buttered baking dish and cover with buttered foil, bake for 45 mins, remove foil for last 15 mins until golden brown.
12. Note: I double this recipe and make a small dish of veggie stuffing so I saute the leek mixture in butter (not the sausage drippings). Add in the sausage to the portion that won't be vegetarian.