Sometimes dinner time during the build up to the holidays happens between a gift-wrapping extravaganza and a rush out the door to attend the middle school's latest festive concert. And while that might inspire some to order pizza delivered or to drop a box of something in the microwave, I like to have a few quick and delicious meals up my sleeve for just such occasions. This one is a popular meal in a bowl dish that brings together a lot of flavors from Germany.
The basis of this dish is a sausage and tater mix that gets additional flavor from smoky bacon, onion, garlic, mustard, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, and fresh greens. The result is a bowl meal that is reminiscent of an extra-hearty German potato salad. What's more, like most bowl meals, there's really no need to add extra sides to the meal. Just pour a glass of beer - if you don't have to eat and run - and enjoy!
If you wanted to make this dish even quicker, you could microwave unpeeled potatoes the night before so they are almost completely soft. Then slice them and cook in the dish as indicated below, but reducing the cooking time to about 5 minutes instead of as much as 15 minutes. Suddenly you've got a 20 minute dinner on the table!
German Sausage Bowls
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into coins
- 2-3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about a pound), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 T. grainy mustard
- 1 T. apple cider vinegar
- 6 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 generous handful fresh arugula or spinach
Fry the bacon in a large skillet, adding the onion and garlic near the end of the cooking process to allow them to cook until softened. Add the sliced sausage and potatoes and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, to allow the potatoes to fry. Continue cooking until the potatoes are nearly soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Mix the mustard and vinegar together and drizzle evenly over the skillet and stir well to coat. Add the tomatoes and greens and stir again. Cover and allow the greens to wilt and the tomatoes to warm and burst as they cook. Remove and serve after another 5 minutes.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes