Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 When I was a child I was not really fond of sausages.  I am not sure why. Perhaps it was the kind of sausages my mother bought, or the way that she cooked them.
I did come to love them very much as an adult.  I like them the way my father always used to enjoy them. Pan fried with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side.

 Great Britain has some of the loveliest sausages in the world, so long as you are buying quality ones.  The cheap and nasty ones are not so good, but cheap and nasty is not so good no matter where you are living!!
I was especially fond of their Cumberland Sausage. Nice and spicy. I have a goal this winter to try to make my own from scratch.  I really miss them! 
 We had a local butcher where I lived that made fabulous sausages.  His apple, sage and onion ones were especially tasty.  You can tell a good butcher by the quality of his sausage.
My butcher was a very good butcher because he produced very good sausages, or Bangers as they are loving called in the UK. 
 The term bangers supposedly originated during World War I, when meat shortages resulted in sausages being made with a number of fillers, notably water, that caused them to explode when cooked. (Wikipedia) 
I am not sure how true this is, but I am going with it.  They do say that if you prick them the skins won't burst in cooking.  I confess I don't mind if the skins burst a bit because you end up with nice crispy bits and I love those crispy bits.
 Here in Canada, President's Choice make some very excellent Bangers.  Free From Bangers, so called because they are created from pork which has been raised by Canadian Farmers without antibiotics.
They are also raised without the use of hormones from grain fed animals and are always fresh and never frozen.  All plus's in my books.  
Most important of all they taste really good.  And no I have not been paid or given free product to say any of this. It is quite simply my opinion.
 Now that I am back in Canada, and there is only one to feed on most days, I still wanted to be able to enjoy my favorite Bangers.  But I didn't necessarily want to cook a whole package of them.
I tend to freeze my sausage after I buy them now. I package them into two sausage units, ready to take out and cook as and when I want  a sausage for supper.  On this day there happened to be three sausage in the package, so I cooked three.
 
I am also all for shortcuts when it comes to cooking for just me. I don't want to have to do a lot of dishes afterwards.  Yes, I can be that lazy. Sorry about that!
Meals where I can cook everything in one pan are my favorite kinds of meals!  This one pan Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner is something I threw together the other day that turned out to be really delicious! 

Not only did I end up with some perfectly cooked sausages, but I also had potatoes and two vegetables to enjoy on the side!
Everything was perfectly cooked as well, and it was all ready in not much more than half an hour, which was perfect for me!  
 WHAT DO YOU NEED TO COOK SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER
Not a lot really and you could probably vary the vegetables you choose to cook a bit. Just make sure they are vegetables that cook in roughly the same amount of time.
  • thick pork sausages (bangers)
  • a large baking potato
  • a large carrot
  • half of a small cabbage
  • sweet apple cider (like cloudy apple juice in the uk)
  • dried thyme, salt and black pepper
  • a tiny bit of oil

Not a lot of ingredients really but what an amazing result!
 HOW TO COOK SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER
This was a really simple supper.  I love meals that cook all in one pan. Less to clean up when done.  No fuss, no muss works for me!
Cooked properly you will end up with tender golden brown sausages.  Perfectly cooked vegetables, and potatoes which are nice and crispy edged.  
 If you prep all of your vegetables before you begin, things go together really quickly. I peeled both the carrot and the potato.  I cut the potato into thick flat slices and I cut the carrot in half lengthwise and then into thirds.
The cabbage was cored and then cut into thick slices. I used only half a small cabbage which was plenty for two people.
 I began by browning the sausage all over in a tiny bit of oil in a medium sized deep skillet (with a lid).  You only need to brown them, not cook them through. Its best to do this on a moderate heat. 
I also added the potato slices to the skillet when I was browning the sausage. This was also to brown the edges of the potato, not cook them through. As you can see I got some really nice golden edges.
 I then added the cabbage and the carrots.  I tossed the cabbage a bit to coat it in the pan juices, and nestled the carrots down into the cabbage.
Once I had done that I added some sweet apple cider and seasoning everything with some salt, black pepper and a bit of dried thyme. I also sprinkled some paprika on the potatoes.
 
Covered tightly, this cooked over medium low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, at which time everything was perfectly cooked.  I uncovered and turned the heat up to help evaporate any pan juices and crisp up the potatoes.
It also gilded the cabbage a bit. I love cabbage which has been fried and gilded with pan juices, don't you??? 
If you wanted to you could make a gravy to go with this, but I didn't. I enjoyed it just as is.

Perfectly cooked meaty sausages. Crispy edged potatoes. Perfectly crispy tender cabbage and carrots.
This was one very excellent meal. I enjoyed it with a dollop of grainy mustard on the side and today I am going to make a tasty hash of the leftovers for me to enjoy.  I do so love a good hash made with tasty leftovers, don't you?
  

Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

Yield: 2Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 MinThis wonderfully hearty meal for two cooks all in one skillet. No fuss, no muss and delicious! Only one pan to clean up as well. Bonus!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 TBS canola oil
  • two large banger sausages (I use the free from Bangers by PC)
  • 1/2 small cabbage
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 large baking potato
  • 1/4 cup sweet apple cider (cloudy apple juice)
  • sweet paprika
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • grainy mustard to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. Core your cabbage and cut into thick slices. Peel the carrot and potato.  Cut the carrot in half and then into thirds. Cut the potato into flat chunks.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high.  Add the sausage and potato.  Brown on all sides.  Add the cabbage and carrot. Season all with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper and a dash of paprika for color.  Pour in the apple cider.
  3. Cover tightly and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the sausage is cooked through.
  4. Remove the cover and continue to cook until any liquid in the pan has evaporated and the potatoes are nicely browned. 
  5. Divide the mixture between two heated plates and serve with some grainy mustard if desired.
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