Sausage Potato Supper

This is one of those "stovetop alchemy" concoctions that probably would not make the cover of Gourmet magazine, but the results are--as I recall being exclaimed by my picky eater--"amazing!" Now from a picky eater, that is the holy grail. 

Who says every single recipe result has to be beautiful in presentation? This isn't the Ritz! Ours is just a humble kitchen on a budget trying to make a few hearty dishes the family will love and many of them will even have a Grandma story behind them.

This is one of those recipes containing sausage that Grandma made and Grandpa actually enjoyed. As you will recall, he never liked sausage of any kind--that means hot dogs too. The only variety he ate was the breakfast kind and that was rare. But in this dish the blending of sweet, tart, salty and a little spicy just couldn't be refused. Plus there's something about meat and potatoes that resonated with Grandpa. He was, after all, a meat-n-potatoes Midwest guy!

A couple of suggestions: You can lower the calorie count by using chicken kielbasa (of course you can still use pork or beef too if you prefer the flavor). We also used Trader Joe's Dijon Mustard instead of the dry mustard called for in this recipe and brown sugar instead of the granulated for a richer flavor. These added so much depth that we thought it was worth adjusting the recipe a bit. Whatever modifications you make will probably enhance this recipe. As Grandma always said--"Cooking isn't that hard. Don't be afraid to be creative!"

Sausage Potato Supper

1 pound fully cooked sausage, thinly sliced (we used chicken Kielbasa)
1 Granny Smith apple (peeled), cored and diced in 1/2 inch chunks
1-½  pounds (about 8) boiling potatoes (unpeeled), sliced in 1/4 in thick slices
About 6 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 large onion,diced coarsely
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup dill pickle
¾ dill pickle liquid
2 tsp sugar (we used brown)
½ tsp dry mustard (we used Trader Joe's Dijon)
salt and pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

In a large skillet, heat sausage and apple together until the sausage is browned, then remove from heat and set aside. In the same pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter and add potato slices a few at a time making sure each slice gets coated with butter, and turn frequently, adding more butter as needed to coat all the potatoes thoroughly.  Add onion and cook, turning often until onion and potatoes are golden. Gently stir in celery, dill pickle and browned sausage mixture.

Combine pickle liquid, sugar, and mustard and pour over potato mixture. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Turn often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, if desired. 4 servings.