ryan's best stuffing ever

While on bed rest Thanksgiving 2005 my darling husband decided to cook an entire Thanksgiving dinner for our little family. He took my stuffing recipe and added his own touches...omitting the liver and ground beef that I usually add and adding bacon and sausage...it turned out AWESOME and I have been making it ever since. I am sure you will love it too!

1 pound maple or sage pork sausage (I like Jimmy Dean)
1/2 pound maple cured bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 pound fresh shitake and cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
2 apples, cored and diced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I like Campbell's)
3/4 cup spiced applesauce
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound dry bread cubes (homemade or store bought)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large baking dish.
Place the sausage, and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the onion, celery, and mushrooms. Season with parsley, sage, and thyme. Cook and stir until meats are evenly browned. Mix in apples, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Drain grease. Mix butter, broth, soup, and applesauce into skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the bread cubes until evenly moist. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake covered 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 15 minutes, until lightly browned.