Sausage Apple Stuffing

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 to 1 ½ large loaf supermarket French bread cubed and toasted, about 10-12 cups
1 package Jimmy Dean
Hot sausage
3 large stalks celery chopped
1 medium white or yellow onion chopped
1 very large or 2 medium granny smith
apples chopped into small ½ inch cubes
1 handful fresh parsley chopped
2 small leaves of fresh sage chopped
¼ t dried sage
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried marjoram
4 C chicken stock
¼ C salted butter
2 T olive oil
¾ C raisins (golden or regular)

Directions:

• Cut French bread into ½ cubes, toast in oven, set aside in large bowl. (Can do this day before and keep over night with paper towel over the bowl of toasted bread.) Cook sausage and crumble. Set aside. Chop onion and celery,measure out raisins, cut apple, chop herbs, and measure out spices. Essentially, have all ingredients prepped.
• Prep a large, oblong baking dish, about 9 by 12 or larger with high sides,lightly rubbed with olive oil.
• In a very large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook until transparent, add the raisins and apple and continue to cook adding in a bit of the grease from the sausage. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked items with all the butter it cooked in, add the sausage, herb sand seasonings. Stir. Now add about half the French bread and begin pouring in the stock, stirring to begin to get a moist consistency, but not mushy. Keep adding stock and bread until it is what you want. You may have some bread left over or even stock. That’s okay.Empty into large baking dish.
• Can either refrigerate until next day(Be sure to take out an hour before so it comes to room temperature.), or bake right away. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until top of bread is toasted. Do not overcook.