Sausage Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

I was assigned to make stuffing for Thanksgiving. I am not really a fan of stuffing; I usually find the stuffing too salty, the texture mushy, and the seasonings too overpowering. While I was tempted to just make a box of Stove Top stuffing, I diligently searched the Internet and found this recipe. Although I am still not too excited to eat stuffing, I did rather enjoy this recipe. And, it wasn't much harder than making the box of Stove Top. So this recipe gets two thumbs up from me! The recipe is from Good Housekeeping. (Recipe updated 3/5/2017, with adaptations from recipe for Sausage Cranberry Stuffing on the Bob Evans website. Recipe updated 11/27/2020 to reduce butter, celery, onions.)

1 lb. sausage (sage or regular)
4 Tbsp. butter
4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 pkg. (12 oz.) seasoned corn-bread stuffing mix OR herb-flavor stuffing mix
1-1/2 C. (6 oz.) chopped pecans
1 pkg. (6 oz.) dried cranberries
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) cans low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In large skillet, crumble and cook sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove from skillet to a plate lined with paper towels.

In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute celery and onion until softened, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine celery, onions, sausage, stuffing mix, pecans, and cranberries. Add the chicken broth and stir until well combined. If desired, loosely stuff some of the mixture into a turkey just before roasting.

Place the rest of the stuffing in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until heated through and lightly browned on top.