Sausage and Apple Stuffing

This is the one and only stuffing recipe I make. I came across a similar recipe many years ago and have changed it over the years to make this the last and final version as my family loves it and it would not be a holiday without it!

INGREDIENTS
14 ounces( 12 cups) white bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 pound JImmy Dean Maple Sausage
1/4 cup butter
6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only) (2-3 leeks)
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled,cored and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cherries
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups low salt chicken broth
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets and bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Sauté sausage in large heavy skillet over medium high heat crumbling as you cook. When it’s almost cooked through at the maple syrup and continue to cook until completely cooked through.
When the sausage is cooked through transfer to a large bowl. Using the same skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning. Mix and continue to sauté until leeks are softened about 8-10 minutes. Mix in dried cherries. Add this mixture to the sausage, then mix in the bread. Season stuffing with salt and pepper. (This part can all be done up to one day ahead cover and refrigerate)
Mix in eggs into stuffing. To bake stuffing in turkey, fill the main cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into the remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 cup to one cup) Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing along side turkey OR do what I do and put the stuffing in the oven while the turkey is resting. This takes about 45 minutes Remove the foil the last 15 minutes of baking.

To bake the stuffing all in one pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter a baking dish, mix 1 1/3 cups of broth into stuffing. Cover with foil and bake until heated through about 45 minutes taking the foil off the last 15 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!