Bread-filled waffles with grape-cranberry syrup

Ingredients:

Cranberry-grape syrup

• 450 g frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups Concord grape jam
• 3/4 cup grape juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 strip of orange zest, 7 cm long.

Waffles

• Cooking spray to spray the waffle iron
• 4.5 cups leftover bread filling, such as cranberry-walnut filling
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 large eggs

Bread filling with cranberries and walnuts

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1.5 cups walnuts
• 220 g raw sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 package (400 g) of bread filling mix
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Special equipment: waffle iron

Preparation:

1. Cranberry-grape syrup:
   
   Combine the cranberries, grape jam, grape juice, sugar, and orange zest in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are very soft and flake easily when pressed with a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. The syrup should simmer gently.
2. Waffles made from bread stuffing:
   
   Crumble the bread filling in a bowl, then add the milk and eggs. Meanwhile, preheat a waffle iron and spray the top and bottom with cooking spray. Spread the filling evenly in the waffle iron, then close it and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the waffles to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining bread filling.
3. Serve the waffles with warm cranberry-grape syrup. Leftover syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
4. Bread filling with cranberries and walnuts:
   
   Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool and chop.
5. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the celery, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook until slightly plumped, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
6. In a large bowl, combine the bread filling mixture, sage, thyme, and walnuts. In a large measuring cup, combine the broth and egg, then add it to the bowl along with the meat mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper and gently stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Transfer the filling to a baking dish and bake until heated through and golden brown on top, 30-40 minutes.