Sauerkraut Sausage Bake ♯

The things that I like about this meal are that it is simple, fast, and easy to prepare while also being a very tasty, unpretentious, unostentatious luncheon repast or light dinner for a weekday night. For those of you who may not be big fans of sauerkraut eaten in its normal form, this preparation may quite surprise you, as it removes much of the strong flavor, salt, and acidity commonly found in sauerkraut and produces a mild, well flavored dish in which the kraut plays an important, but supporting, role. We have found this recipe to be a fine accompaniment to our Monday Night Football* ritual.

  • 1 lb low-fat turkey Polish sausage, in ½” cubes
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup chopped Poblano chile (seeds removed)
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • <salt>, to taste
  • 2 cups sauerkraut, drained and washed
  • 1 lower G. I. tortilla, cut in pieces
  • 4 oz Swiss cheese, in cubes
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup crispy fried onions

Spray a sautè pan with canola oil and heat the sausage until just turning brown. Add the onion, celery, chile, garlic, and seasoning and continue to cook until the onions are limp and just beginning to caramelize. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut and add it to the pan. Mix well and remove from the heat.

In a food processor, place the cut pieces of tortilla, Swiss cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Buzz at the “grate” setting until the mixture has a texture resembling rice. Remove this mixture to a bowl, add a little water, and stir until the mixture forms a moist dough-like character.

Grease a glass 9” × 9” baking dish with canola spray, add the sausage-sauerkraut mixture, and spread evenly. Top with the tortilla-cheese dough in an even layer. Bake in a 350° F oven for 35 minutes. Top with the crispy fried onions (available canned or packaged) and bake another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

vegan weenies

There are vegans in my family. When they visit, I can prepare hot dogs from this recipe for lunch! I wanted something Lower G. I., so I could eat it too. I found a recipe for vegan Italian sausage, which I modified toward a Southwestern style.

But I wondered, will carnivores like it? Could these faux sausages stand on their own? So I tried them out first on me. Not bad! Not as good as Dodger Dogs, I’ll grant you. But considering there’s no fat in them, they do a pretty good job at filling a bun. They are also not bad slightly grilled and served with eggs.

  • 1¼ cups vital wheat gluten
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube, powdered
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp New Mexico red chile powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground oregano
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1 cup low salt refried beans
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ tsp liquid smoke
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

Have a number of sheets of aluminum foil on hand. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a fork to make a dough. With your food scale handy, place a 2 oz portion on a piece of foil and shape it into about a 5” log, roll it up, and twist the ends.

Place wrapped sausages in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Remove, let cool, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, brown them in a pan sprayed with a little oil. You can also nuke them for a minute in the microwave, if you like.