Sausage and Leek Stuffing

This is my favorite dish at Thanksgiving. It was one of tthe first things I cooked for Perry, way back before we started dating, that has haunted his taste buds since. Its a labor of love, since it requires a good amount of
prep work and plenty of ingredients. But I promise that its worth it.

Sausage and Leek Stuffing
Serves 6 as a side. Fits in an 9x13 inch glass casserole dish. Can fit 1/3rd to half of mix into a large chicken or all into a turkey if you want to be authentic.

2/3rd a loaf of sandwich bread, cut into inch cubes. I've used whole wheat here but white is great.
3 links italian sausage
1 leek, cut into 1/2 inch squares
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 package of mushrooms, cubed (I like chinese mushrooms because they're denser)
2 granny smith apples, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
2/3 cup sliced almonds
Optional - 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1. The night before, prep the bread and leave out overnight in a single layer to dry out a little. Or just use stale bread :)
2. Prep all fruit and vegetables and squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing.
3. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook the sausage, crumbling it into smaller pieces (everything in this dish should be the same size).
4. After sausage is mostly cooked, add the leeks and garlic. Sweat for about 5 minutes until leeks turn a little transparent.
5. Add the celery and mushroom and herbs. Cook until tender.
6. Add the apple and nuts, mixing to incorporate.
7. If the mix is dry, add water, milk, or stock until the bread is fluffy and just begins to break down.
8. If you have a while until dinner, place in a 9x13 glass casserole dish and bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350 until you're ready. The longer you bake, the more liquid you will want to add. Or you can serve straight out of the pot.
9. If stuffing into poultry, please make sure that the poultry is cooked through all the way. A meat thermometer is very useful here.