Bacon, pecan and dried apricot:

Dice a ½-pound piece of slab bacon into ½-inch pieces. In a medium skillet, over moderate heat, fry bacon until browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon along with ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans and 1 cup chopped apricots to bowl with bread cubes, liquid and onion/celery mixture. Toss stuffing mixture, combine with stock, and bake as directed.

Sausage and fresh apple:

Prepare bread for the basic stuffing recipe using whole-wheat bread only. Fry 1 pound of crumbled sausage in a medium skillet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage along with 1 Red Delicious apple that has been cored and chopped into ¼-inch dices to the bowl containing toasted whole-wheat bread cubes and onion and celery mixture. Toss stuffing mixture, combine with stock, and bake as directed.

Cranberry and roasted butternut squash:

Peel a large butternut squash. Cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Toss cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Roast squash in a 400-degree oven until cubes are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer squash along with 1 cup of dried cranberries to the bowl with bread cubes and onion/celery mixture. Toss stuffing mixture, combine with stock, and bake as directed.

Mushroom and roasted garlic:

Prepare bread for the basic stuffing recipe using 5 cups white bread and 5 cups rye bread. Roast 1 small head of garlic. Chop and sauté 1 pound button mushrooms and 1 pound shitake mushroom caps in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Season mushrooms with ¼ teaspoon salt. Deglaze pan with ½ cup dry white wine. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into the pan and blend well with mushrooms. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with bread cubes and onion/celery mixture. Toss stuffing mixture, combine with stock, and bake as directed.

Olive, pine nut and rosemary:

Add ½ cup pitted, chopped Kalamata olives, ½ cup pine nuts, and 3 teaspoons chopped, fresh rosemary to stuffing before adding stock. Toss stuffing mixture, combine with stock, and bake as directed.