Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°

Step 2

Bake bread pieces on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally (every 15 minutes), until dried out, about 1 hour

Step 3

Set aside

Step 4

Meanwhile, brown the sausage over medium-high heat in an oven-proof braiser or Dutch oven, once browned remove sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.Season the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons of salt

Step 5

Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook without moving until the chicken skin is brown and crispy, about 5 minutes

Step 6

Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and set them aside

Step 7

Keep the heat at medium-high, and add the chopped onions and celery to your Dutch oven

Step 8

Sauté them in the residual chicken and sausage fat until just beginning to brown, while gently scraping the brown bits from the pan, about 10 minutes.Preheat oven to 350°F.Remove the braiser from the heat and add the bread pieces, along with the fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and sausage

Step 9

Drizzle the chicken stock evenly over the bread and toss gently to combine.Nestle the chicken thighs into the stuffing mixture

Step 10

Bake for 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken thigh registers 170°.Transfer the cooked chicken thighs onto a plate and stir the stuffing with any excess liquid in the bottom of the pan

Step 11

Serve with extra parsley for garnish

Step 12

* For the fresh herbs in this recipe, you can purchase a "poultry blend" at your local grocery store similar to this This is the best way to keep the cost of the dish low