Recipe: Sausage & Bread Bake

Last night I had a package of monster brats that needed to be cooked. I didn't want to do the same old thing by grilling and serving them on a bun, so I looked up something new to try.

I pulled out my "Reader's Digest Just One Pot" cookbook (linked below on Amazon.com), that my husband bought for me, and tried the Sausage & Bread Bake on page 200. The recipe called for 1lb of sweet Italian Sausage so I improvised with the Brats and used ground sage instead of sage leaves.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 pound (500 g) sweet Italian sausages

2 cups (200 g) day-old bread, cut into small cubes

4 leaves fresh sage, torn

4 large eggs

1-1/4 cups (300 ml) chicken broth or stock (see page 56)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F (180C/gas 4)

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and parsley until softened, 5 minutes.

Add the sausages and cook until browned, 7-8 minutes. Chop the sausages into thick slices.

Drain the fat from the pan, pouring 4 tablespoons into a large bowl and discarding the rest. If there is not this much fat in the pan, add extra olive oil.

Mix in the cubes of bread, sage, and sausages. Season with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs lightly, then stir them into the chicken broth. Pour this liquid over the sausage-and-bread mixture. Stir well.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes more. Servc hot.

Serves 4 * Prep 25 min * Cooking 70 min

It smelled wonderful while it cooked on the stove then baked in the oven. It was made and served with the following items bought at our local farmer's market's:

• parsley, that I grow on our back deck
• onion ($0.50)
• corn-on-the-cob ($5/doz)
• cantelope ($1)
• eggs ($2/doz), I buy these from a friend nearby

The brats were on clearance at Price Chopper for $1.67. What a deal!

Although this made for a delicious supper, I would recommend it for brunch when you have company visiting.