Those who have been following for a while now might remember how much Brother Dear loved smoked sausage. For that matter, how much he loved all things fried – unless it was a vegetable other than a potato. Cooking for Brother Dear could be a bit of a challenge. He was stubborn as a mule and as picky as most two-year-olds when it came to his food. (Notice that I say most – my children were adventurous at mealtime, as is Kiddo. The table was never a battlefield). My mom allowed Brother Dear to eat Chocolate Cake for dinner rather than to fight with him. He never outgrew those childish habits. It was up to me, and later our younger sister to come up with variations of his favorites to keep him from starving. We tried Kilebasa Sausage with Herbed Potatoes and Corn and A Corny Take on Smoked Sausage with Fried Potatoes. These variations of Brother Dear’s Smokes Sausage and Fried Potatoes met with his stamp of approval. That is all but one. For one thing, the entire dish was baked, not fried. And I had the audacity to include carrots! Try as I might to convince him that he could pick out the carrots, he was convinced that the carrots had somehow gotten their carrot cooties on everything. (Ha! Little did he know about all the times I minced carrots so finely to put into sauces and such).
Word of advice to parents everywhere: Don’t raise picky eaters. Encourage your children to try new things. Well-rounded children grow up to be well-rounded adults. Life is overflowing with wonder and flavor and color and . . . you get the idea. Embrace it all!
Smoked Sausage and Potato Bake with Roasted Carrots
1 ½ lbs small Red Potatoes, cut in haves or quartered
1 Onion, slivered thin
½ lb Baby Carrots
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Thyme leaves
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Packages Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage, coin-cut
Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside until ready to use.
Clean and cut Red Potatoes. Place in a large bowl.
Add onions, carrots, butter and seasonings to potatoes. Toss to coat evenly.
Place potato mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, coin-cut smoked sausage, set aside until ready to use.
Add sausage to potato mixture, mix well. Continue to bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and golden.
Note: For more color, try Purple Potatoes (when you can find them) or Red Onions.
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