Thanksgiving Bake

My husband and I will not be together during Thanksgiving. BOOOO I know. So I decided to have Thanksgiving a little early with this Thanksgiving bake. I love it because it tastes like Thanksgiving without the leftovers and stuffed feeling. My husband kept raving about the flavor of the chicken. Yum!

Ingredients
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box chicken flavor stuffing
3/4 cup sparkling apple cider (or chicken broth if you do not have this)
1/2 pound sausage
1/4 pound carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup onion (depending on how much onion you like)
1 small apple, chopped
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup craisins

Directions
1. Place chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 baking dish (I put foil in the bottom of mine to make an easier clean up). Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, stir in flour. Continue stirring and cooking to make a roux for about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk a little at a time. Stir constantly until it thickens. Once thickened, add the onion powder, garlic salt, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste (taste it to make sure you like the amount of salt and pepper). Pour on top of the chicken.
3. In that same pan you just used (less clean up right?), cook the sausage and remove the sausage from the pan but leave the grease.
4. In the sausage grease cook the carrots, celery, and onion with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the apples and continue cooking for an additional 2-4 minutes (depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables).
5. Combine the stuffing, water, craisins, sausage, carrots, celery, onions, apples, and sparking cider (or chicken broth) in a large bowl. Pour over the top of the chicken and milk mixture.
6. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (I use a meat thermometer).