Beer Braised Sausage and Kraut

This isn't what we normally call it...and this isn't even how we normally make this.  BUT I had one extra beer left over from my March madness and thought it might be a good addition to our usual recipe.

Okay, so how shot are YOUR brackets?  Really?  Florida Gulf Coast over Georgetown?  Seriously?  G'town what happened to you?  You obviously didn't play it like you wanted it.  You CAN.NOT come into the Big Dance with a chip on your shoulder and assume you're going to win.  You've got to EARN each and every win in this tournament!!  *sigh*  I'm a big bowl of FAIL with my 2 Alma maters.  Yup...UK out in the first round of the NIT folks.  NIT!!  *facepalm*  FAIL with a capital FA I L!  Where was I?  Oh yeah...

We call this *pardon me if I insult* Polish Dinner.  We don't add beer to the broth.  Sometimes we add leeks.  This time I added onions.  This is versatile.  Make it what you want.  This originally was an S meal that I adapted from this recipe here.  But that's only because I needed something with some sort of measurements to add to MasterCook.  Which is kind of funny in a way because I don't even use those measurements or even that recipe.  LOL  I know...I'm weird.

This comes together easy and simmers just long enough to sit and down a bottle sip a glass of wine.  I think it was a Robert Mondavi Chardonnay?  I can't remember.  We've gone through a few whites in the last few weeks.  BUT only the one red.  Marques de Riscal Reserva 2006.

A nice Spanish wine that's mid range in price, but doesn't make me sweat perspire like other reds usually do.  It's dry and mild.  Pairs well with almost any meal.  Can pick up spicy notes or be mellow enough for pizza...like last night.  *snort*  Anyway, I'm glad I learned about that red and enjoy it completely.  We found it at Total Wine here in VA, so I'm pretty sure it's readily available across the US.

Okay, enough with the wine reviews.

Chop half a cabbage and half an onion.  Peel and chop about three, medium potatoes.

We don't usually use THAT much sausage, but S said to put it all in.  The Johnsonville was a chicken and pepper sausage with some cheese?  It was quite good, but the flavors were lost in this.  We usually just stick with the Hillshire Farm Turkey Smoked Sausage.

I always start the pierogies when we start the dinner.  I bake them in the oven.  I coat them with cooking spray, bake for 15 minutes

flip, coat with cooking spray again, and bake for an additional 12 minutes or so until puffy and crisp.

Heat a Dutch oven in medium-high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of canola oil or extra virgin olive oil and swirl to coat.  Add the cabbage and onion and saute until it begins to brown.  Add the sausage and saute an additional 5 minutes.  Then add the potatoes and the sauerkraut and saute another 3-5 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup of beer, 3 1/2 cups of fat free chicken broth, 1 tablespoon caraway seed, and 2 tablespoons grainy mustard and stir to combine.

Add to the cabbage mixture and bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Yes, it looks like a big pot of mush, but it's tasty!  We leave the lid off so that some of the liquid evaporates when it simmers.  Sometimes we get lazy and cook it a little too long.  *giggle*  You could easily double the broth and make this a soup.  Or have less broth and put the lid on to pseudo steam the potatoes.  It's just THAT versatile.

Beer Braised Sausage and Kraut

Ingredients

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 c cabbage, shredded
• 1 c onions, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 14 oz smoked turkey sausage, chopped
• 14 oz canned sauerkraut, undrained
• 1/2 c beer (your choice)
• 3 1/2 c chicken broth, fat free
• 2 T grainy mustard
• 1 T caraway seeds
• 1 box pierogies, cooked

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add oil; swirling to coat.
3. Add cabbage and onion and saute 5 minutes or until they begin to brown.
4. Add sausage and saute an additional 5 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and saute 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Combine beer, broth, mustard and caraway seed in a small bowl. Add to cabbage mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
7. Place pierogies on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Turn the pierogies over, spray with cooking spray, and bake an additional 12-15 minutes or until puffy and crisp.
9. Serve immediately.

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