Special sausage and bread stuffing

This recipe uses spicy Italian sausage which are freed from their skins and crumbled into the pan like ground meat or mince. The overall flavour of the stuffing owes much to this sausage. 

Recipe : Stuffing (Remember, a bowl of stuffing is not just for Christmas..)
4 hot Italian sausages, skins removed

4 slices of back bacon, chopped

2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 Granny Smith or other tart apple, seeded, cored and finely chopped

2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped

2 tbsp chestnuts, chopped

a small handful mushrooms, chopped

a handful of mixed greens such as kale, Swiss chard or cabbage, finely shredded

salt and pepper

1/2 a crusty loaf of bread, cut into cubes

2 eggs

1/2 cup chicken stock 

Heat the oven to 350oF and place the cubes of bread on a baking dish. Bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes, turning halfway through until they are brown and toasted. Remove and place into a lightly buttered baking dish. 

Heat the first tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat and crumble the skinned sausages into the pan, breaking them up with your fingers. Fry until they are cooked through, crisp and browned and add them to the bread.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in a pan over medium to high heat and crisp the bacon. Remove. To the remaining oil, butter and any bacon fat in the pan, add the celery, onion and apple and fry until softened, adding a little more oil or butter if necessary. Add the mushrooms, greens, cranberries and walnuts and continue to fry over medium heat until the mushrooms are softened and the greens wilted. Season well with salt and pepper. 

Mix the bacon and cooked vegetables well with the toasted bread and sausage in the baking dish. 

Break the eggs into a bowl or jug and whisk well. Add the chicken stock, (cooled - or it will start cooking the eggs) and pour all over the bread, sausage and vegetable mixture. Dot a little butter on top and bake for about 30 - 40 minutes until piping hot and set.