Cold weather has me wanting all the soups, stews, and casseroles I can get my hands on. For as much as I love spending a Sunday afternoon leisurely chopping, browning, sautéing and simmering for dinner, most of my life is not a leisurely Sunday afternoon - and I'm guessing yours isn't either.
Enter: This Beer Braised Sausage with Warm Potato Salad. All the comfort of a long-cooked stew, in a fraction of the time (prep time and cook time!).
You will love how simple and comforting this recipe is. Spicy, juicy sausage links, warm red potatoes and onions, cooked up in a delicious beer sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Is it just me, or is sausage the most perfect meat? Always delicious and flavorful, cost-effective, and comes ready to use. Put a nice sear on a sausage link and suddenly you're in for a fancy meal.
Serve this up with a warm, crusty hunk o' bread, and maybe a green salad if that's your style.
Beer Braised Sausage + Warm Potato Salad
A rich, comforting, German-inspired meal that cooks up quick and makes for the perfect winter weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage links
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
- 12 ounce bottle of beer (see note)
- 2 pounds medium redskin potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt + Pepper
Directions
- In a large sauté pan with high sides, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the sausage links and cook a couple minutes per side, until browned - this will take about 8 minutes total. Remove links to a plate and set aside.
- Add sliced onions to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened - about 6 minutes. Add the bottle of beer, potatoes, enough water to submerge the potatoes (1-2 cups), along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Place sausage links on top. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes - until potatoes are tender and sausage is cooked through. Remove sausages to a plate and cover.
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, and Dijon. Transfer potatoes and onions with slotted spoon to the bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Increase heat of pan to high and boil the remaining liquid. Maintain boil for 10-12 minutes until sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened. Serve sausages and potato salad with extra sauce on the side.
Beer selection: Pale ale is my favorite for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with darker beer if you want a more pronounced beer flavor.
Sausage selection: Italian is the most readily available, and it takes a surprisingly German turn when cooked in beer! We use mild spiciness. Brats would also be delicious!
Adapted from Martha Stewart.
Cozy up to a bowl of this all winter long.
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