Apple, Sausage, and Cranberry Stuffing

I made this stuffing for Christmas dinner tonight, and it was phenomenal.  I know it's not exactly the best idea to test a recipe for the first time on the big day, but I couldn't imagine any stuffing possibly tasting that bad. The apples, spices, chicken soup, and cranberries give this stuffing the most delicious flavor.  I adapted this from the "Awesome Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing" on allrecipes.com found here.  Based on the reviews, I changed it by using fresh herbs, adding an egg to make it hold and be less crumbly, using sage pork sausage instead of regular sausage for more flavor, and I used drained broth from chicken noodle soup instead of turkey stock.  The reason for my last substitution is because it was the only thing I had on hand.  I was actually planning on using chicken stock, but I didn't realize I didn't have it until the last minute.  So I used the chicken noodle soup stock, and I figured it would give the stuffing even more flavor since it had been sitting for so long.  And man was I right!  This stuffing was absolutely superb! Both my parents said it was their favorite dish of all the food we had today and yesterday..and we had some of the best food I've ever had.  I can't wait to try this stuffed in a turkey...my family all agreed that I'm making this for Thanksgiving next year.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
• 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
• 1 pound ground sage pork sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 4.5 teaspoons fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 apple, cored and chopped (i used pink ladies)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup finely chopped, fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup broth from can of chicken noodle soup (i used condensed)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and egg.  Mix well. Drizzle with drained chicken soup and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into lightly greased casserole dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring halfway through.