Apple-Apricot-Maple Chicken Sausage Dressing - There's an Apple for That

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 large chicken-maple sausages (about 2 pounds), casings removed*
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp butter (or vegan buttery spread, for non-dairy version), plus additional to coat baking dish
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 Stemilt apples, peeled, cored, cut into thin wedges and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped dried California apricots
• 7 cups cubed day-old bread (as preferred), or good quality dried bread mix
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as preferred
• 1/2 cup toasted, chopped macadamia nuts or chopped candied pecans, as preferred (optional)