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or stuffing. Dressing in a casserole, stuffing in the bird, as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, I'm that kind of a pedant.

8 oz regular/mild breakfast sausage, thawed if frozen
2 med onions, chopped
1 c chopped celery
About 6 c cubed bread, dried (1.5 baguettes, 3 mini baguettes, or store-bought unseasoned)
Scant Tbsp dry mustard
Scant Tbsp dried thyme
Heaping Tbsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2-3 boxes of chicken broth (or 2 large boxes. You can’t have too much, as more will be used for gravy, etc.)
Butter

Fry the sausage in its own fat, adding a little butter if needed. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, and use the fat remaining in the pan to fry the veg slowly until tender, adding butter only if necessary.

Mix the dry bread with the seasonings and then add in the sausage and veg, mixing well. Add just enough broth to the pan to deglaze it and pour over the bread with enough added broth to moisten it about halfway – a little crunch in the middle – the turkey juices will supply the rest of the moisture needed. Use more broth if it's going in a casserole. If you’re doing ahead, refrigerate it now, not in the bird.

My mom's recipe, pretty standard stuff. I don't know where she got it, but it isn't in any of her cookbooks of the time. (I have all of them.) It might have been her mother's, her MIL's, or a friend's. It's a little sage-heavy, so if that concerns you or if the sausage has plenty of sage in it already, start light and add more after tasting. Since everything is cooked and it hasn't been near the bird yet, it's safe. According to DH, you can't have too much sage. He made it once and I have to disagree; you definitely can.