Lazy Sausage Supper

First off, please do not give in to the immediate feelings of repulsion that surely must accompany my sad, sad photograph of this recipe. It is delicious, hearty, and comforting - just one of the ugliest things I have ever made. Sausage does not photograph well.

Well, it is finally here! The month I have been mentally telling myself will solve all my winter blues has finally rolled in. Over and over the past few months, I have reiterated how the month of March was the month of hope - hope in the promise of green grass, sunny days, grilled dinners, walks on the beach, ice cream, and pure happiness. I was so giddy with excitement the night of February 28th, it was a bit ridiculous. The next morning, I woke up feeling so happy and refreshed - March was finally here!

Then, I looked outside.

Overcast, dreary, bitterly cold, with a "wintry mix" of rain, sleet, snow, and ice pummeling our area. This wasn't how I had envisioned March to be! Again, maybe my expectations for this month were a bit high - after all, I truly did not expect the weather to suddenly begin warming up...did I? Drats. Looks like we'll have to put up with a few more grumbles from Old Man Winter before spring truly arrives. You all are probably excited about that eventuality just so I will stop complaining about the weather. I feel like that is all I ever whine about. That and being gigantically pregnant.

So, we'll settle for a few more weeks of cozy meals with the fire roaring while we remain cuddled up inside trying to stay warm. This Lazy Sausage Supper is a perfect winter meal if you're stuck inside, working on a few other projects, and just feel like putting only a teeny amount of effort into dinner. I love meals that are baked in one dish (unless of course you add a side salad or something) because there is no stress about making sure all the sides are served piping hot at the same time as the main course. Plus, all the flavors mingle together perfectly - a major plus for someone like me who, unlike the other members of my little family, has always enjoyed mixing all components on my plate together to create the perfect bite (peas, mashed potatoes, and roast beef all together on the fork and then dipped in gravy - I think this is divine while my husband finds it heretical).

This sausage supper was enjoyed by everyone. My kids love sausage and we have been buying this fantastic, handmade sausage from an organic grocer in our area. The "meat guy" makes several different types and they are all delicious - my personal favorite is the Polish sausage but the brats, Italian sausage, and German sausage are all very, very good. For this recipe, we used both hot and sweet Italian sausage - the spicy for the adults and the sweet for the children. Again, no picture of elongated links of sausage is going to be attractive so you're just going to have to trust me when I tell you this was one delicious meal. We will certainly be making it again!

Feel free to serve it with a simple green salad and a bit of bread for soaking up juices. The leftovers were also great for breakfast with a couple scrambled eggs.

Lazy Sausage Supper
from Let's Dish Recipes

2 pounds of Italian sausages
1 pound potatoes, cubed (any type)
1 pound baby carrots
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
8-12 ounces whole fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine all of the chopped vegetables in a large roasting pan. Whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, basil, oregano and fennel seeds.Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour chicken broth around the sides of the vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Meanwhile, brown sausages in a large skillet over medium heat. They do not need to be cooked all the way through - just lightly browned.

Remove from skillet and slice them into large chunks or just leave them as is. That's what we opted for - remember this is a lazy casserole! Remove the foil from vegetables and add sausages to pan.
Pour in balsamic vinegar and give everything a good stir. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake, uncovered, for 20-30 additional minutes or until everything is browned as the sausages are cooked through.