Stovetop Wild Rice Stuffing

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, cut in halves and diced

1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup roughly chopped dried cranberries

1 cup chopped pecans

3 cups cubes bread stuffing

2 cups cooked wild rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until onions have softened and become translucent. Add the diced carrots, red bell peppers and celery and sauté with onions and garlic until they become tender.
2. After the aromatics have softened, add the ground Italian sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients until the sausage becomes brown with golden-brown edges. Add the seasonings and stir.
3. After the ground Italian sausage has browned, add the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Stir and heat through. The cranberries will soften a bit. Then, add the bread for stuffing and cooked wild rice. Stir, making sure the rice and bread stuffing heat through. Taste for seasoning.
4. Add the chicken stock and stir, making sure the bread softens but still maintains a nice bite. Taste again for seasoning and cook until rice and bread have heated all the way through.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve.