So Many Dishes

I love sheet pan recipes, even though I don’t make them that frequently. They always seem to be dishes that are relatively easy to put together and, once the pan is in the oven, there’s time to relax before dinner. Any meal that provides time for sipping an adult beverage is worth trying, certainly judging by Ken’s attitude.

Ken was actually the first to spot the recipe for sheet-pan sausages with sauerkraut and mustard a few days ago in the Washington Post. A take on choucroute, the Alsatian dish of meats cooked with sauerkraut, the recipe was developed by one of the Post’s former food writers, G. Daniela Galarza. She wrote the newspaper’s Voraciously column, which focused on weeknight cooking. Neither Ken not I wanted to wait to try this.

The recipe is quite simple. You mix sauerkraut, shredded cabbage, sliced red onion, and mustard to make a vegetable bed. Into that nestle sausages, then pour apple cider over the top. Then you bake it, turning the pan once halfway through the cooking time. It couldn’t be easier.

The recipe calls for pork sausage, and Daniela suggests Polish or Italian sausage. I don’t see Italian in this at all. My plan was to use turkey kielbasa, but they were out of it at the store. I went with turkey smoked sausage instead, and that worked perfectly. For the mustard, I used spicy brown mustard, since that’s what I had. The recipe says “preferably whole grain mustard;” not my preference 😄

I opted to give the dish a little bit more of a German flavor, and sprinkled some caraway seeds, probably less than a teaspoon, over the sausage and veggies before baking. We both enjoyed the addition.

We both enjoyed the result very much. I think Ken would be happy if I made this again next week. The combination of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage sounds odd, but it works beautifully. The cabbage retains a bit of crunch, providing more texture. We served it with a crusty Italian bread, but I think a mound of mashed potatoes would be a perfect accompaniment. It won’t be long until I make this again.

Sheet-Pan Sausage with Sauerkraut and Mustard

• Canola oil, for greasing pan
• 1 (16-ounce) jar sauerkraut with it’s liquid (do not drain)
• 2 generous cups shredded cabbage (any kind)
• 1 small red onion (5 ounces), sliced
• 1 tablespoon mustard, plus more for serving
• 1 pound pork sausage links, or 13-ounce package turkey smoked sausage or kielbasa, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with oil. Add the sauerkraut, cabbage, onion, and mustard. Using tongs or your hands, mix until the mustard is evenly distributed and then flatten into an even layer.

Nestle the sausages atop the vegetables and pour the cider over everything. Sprinkle with caraway seeds, if using. Roast for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan front to back and roast for another 15 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through and the cabbage and onions are tender. Serve with additional mustard as desired, and crusty bread or potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!