Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain fat and grease. Set sausage aside in mixing bowl. Do not clean skillet.
In the same skillet, add butter, celery, onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent.
In a large mixing bowl, combine traditional stuffing, prepared sausage and vegetable mixture, pecans/walnuts, cranberries, apple, sage and chicken broth. Stir well.
Transfer mixture to medium buttered baking dish. Bake covered in preheated oven 30 minutes; uncover and bake additional 20 minutes until lightly browned.