Portuguese Sausage Cranberry Brioche Stuffing

Heat oven to 350° and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with softened butter then set aside. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. If you have smoked sausage, cut it in half lengthwise, then slice into half moons. (If you have fresh sausage, remove if from its casing and crumble into the skillet then cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces.) When the sausage is browned and cooked, transfer it to a plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. 

Return pan to heat and add butter and the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden. Add the celery and apples and cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Coat the cranberries in sugar then add to the pan and cook until they just begin to collapse. Stir in the garlic, thyme and parsley and mix well. Return the sausage to the skillet, add the bread, and toss together. 

Whisk together the broth and eggs then pour over the stuffing mixture, season generously with salt and pepper, then turn into the baking dish. Bake until heated through and browned on top, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.