Oktoberfest Stew with Lager and Smoked Sausage

Hubby ended up loving this dish for his lunches. It’s filling and full of flavor!

Oktoberfest Stew with Lager and Smoked Sausage

(Adapted from A Cozy Apron)

 

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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14 ounce) package beef smoked sausage, cut into bite-size slices
1 1/2 onion, sliced into thin semi-circles
1/2 head small cabbage, halved again, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
Pinch salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup German-style lager beer (Oktoberfest variety)
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed to bite-size pieces
2 1/2 cups hot chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Place a medium-large pot over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil;

Once the oil is hot, add in the sliced beef smoked sausage, and allow the slices to caramelize and brown in the oil, for about 4-5 minutes.

When the sausage is browned, add in the sliced onions, stir, and allow the onions to caramelize with the sausage for another few minutes, until golden-brown and softened;

Once onions are caramelized, add in the sliced cabbage, stir to combine, and allow the cabbage to soften and take on the flavors of the sausage and onions for  few minutes;

Once the cabbage is softened and golden, add in the black pepper, ground caraway seeds and the pinch of salt, and stir to combine;

Next, stir in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the cup of lager, and stir the mixture to combine; allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 3 minutes or so;

Next, add in the cubed potatoes and the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the mixture to come to the boil; once it comes to the boil, place a lid on (slightly askew to allow just a little steam to escape), and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer the stew for about 40 minutes;

After the 40 minutes, turn the heat off, and finish the stew by stirring in the apple cider vinegar and the chopped parsley (add more salt if necessary, too).

Serve in large bowls with some hearty, rye bread or rustic rolls with butter or cream cheese.

French Onion Turkey Casserole

Do you still have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving ready for the freezer or in the freezer? This is a great use for that or even if you cook a turkey breast, rotisserie chicken or grilled poultry. The options are endless!  I used 2 turkey breast for a turkey I just cooked so we wouldn’t be stuck eating the same thing over and over again. Hubby loved how this came out. It gives you that French onion soup taste, but in a casserole form which makes it super easy to whip up.

French Onion Turkey Casserole

(Adapted from NancyC)

 

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Makes a 2-quart casserole (you can also use a 9×9″ or 11×7″ baking pan)

6 eggs
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed French Onion Soup
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (about 8 ounces), divided
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional (if you want a more seasoned flavor)
9 slices of bread (I used honey whole grain oatmeal bread, but you can use white or wheat bread), cut into cubes
2 cups shredded or cubed turkey (if you want a meatier casserole, add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup; if you do this, you may need to cut back on the bread by 1 slice, or your baking pan may be too full)

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease or spray a 2-quart shallow pan (or 9×9″ or 11×7″ baking pan). Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, soup, and milk, blending well with a fork or whisk.

Add 1 cup of the shredded Swiss cheese and 1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, mixing well. (If using salt, mix this in now, too).

Add the bread cubes, stirring and pressing them into the milk mixture to fully coat.

Then add the cubed turkey and mix everything well, so ingredients are evenly distributed in mixture.

Pour or spoon the mixture into your baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and thyme.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Easy Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup

We love pho, but I’ve never made it at home. Mostly because I thought there was probably 50 ingredients in it and it takes 3 days to make! I’m just exaggerating, but I was intimidated. I did mess the dish up a little. I just put the whole package of noodles in and it was double the amount, so it sucked up ALL the liquid. It was more of a pasta than a soup, but it was still delicious! Great light and refreshing meal with the added mint. Can’t wait to make it again when it gets cooler.

Easy Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Omnivore’s Cookbook)

 

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Broth
4 cups Asian beef stock (*see footnote 1)
1 big slice ginger
1 whole star anise
3 cloves
1 teaspoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
2 teaspoons fish sauce

To serve
200 grams raw beef short ribs (or sirloin steak, or tenderloin) (*see footnote 2)
150 grams (5 ounces) dried rice noodles
2 green onions (green part)
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup fresh herbs (mix of cilantro, basil, and/or mint)
Sriracha and hoisin sauce (or homemade hoisin sauce)

 

Combine beef stock, ginger, star anise, and cloves in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn to medium low heat. Add ginger, star anise, cloves, light soy sauce, and fish sauce. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove all the solid ingredients and discard them. Return soup to the stove, cover, and heat over the lowest heat needed to keep it hot. If you have leftover cooked beef, you can add it into the broth now to reheat it.

 

While boiling the soup, slice the raw beef against grain into thin slices. You can freeze the beef briefly, about 10 minutes, so it will be easier to slice. Prep and cut veggies and set them aside.

Ten minutes before the beef broth is ready, bring another pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook (or soak) according to instructions, or until tender. It usually takes 3 to 8 minutes, depending on the type of noodles. I also messed up by just cooking the noodles in the soup instead of water.

Rinse with tap water and drain. Divide the noodles among the serving bowls.

Top beef slices, without overlapping, on the rice noodles and pour the soup over them, to quickly cook the beef. If you want the beef to be cooked more thoroughly, lightly press them into the soup to heat evenly.

Garnish with bean sprouts and herbs.

Serve immediately with lime wedges, Sriracha sauce and hoisin sauce.

NOTES
1. If you boiled down your beef stock previously, you’ll need to add water to dilute it. The amount of water will depend on how concentrated your stock is. You can start by reheating the stock to bring it back to liquid form, taste it, and adjust the strength by adding water.
If you don’t have any homemade Asian beef stock on hand, you can use store-bought beef broth instead. To make the broth taste more intense, you can refer to this recipe.

2. If you have leftover braised beef from making the beef stock, you can reheat it with the soup after discarding the aromatics, and serve the beef and soup together.

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup

Nothing beats a super easy crockpot meal! This soup makes your guest feel like you spent all day in the kitchen. It’s a nice hardy soup and it’ll keep you coming back for more. I made it for Good Friday, but I also grilled some sausage to add to it for leftovers. Hubby said it’s a win win!

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup

(Adapted from Budget Byte$)

 

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2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 lb carrots
4 stalks celery (1/2 bunch)
1 lb dry navy beans*
1 whole bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks of a pepper mill)
1 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste

 

Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and slice the carrots into thin rounds. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.

Sort through the beans and remove any debris or stones. Give them a quick rinse and then add them to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and some freshly cracked pepper.

Add SIX CUPS of water to the slow cooker and stir to combine the ingredients. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or on high for 4-5 hours.

After 8 hours, stir the soup and mash the beans slightly. Starting with just a 1/2 tsp, add salt to your liking. I used about 2 tsp total, but keep tasting and adding more, 1/2 tsp at a time, until it reaches the level that you prefer.

RECIPE NOTES
*Make sure to get navy beans, not cannellini beans, which are related to the kidney bean. Kidney beans and cannellini beans contain a high level of phytohemagglutinin, which is a strong, naturally occurring gastrointestinal toxin. The levels of this toxin can actually increase if the beans are not fully boiled for ten minutes. If you're unsure about your beans, boil the beans on the stove top for at least ten minutes before adding to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.

Dublin Coddle

Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s Day! Are you ready? I made this dish and it was wonderful! The only difference was I used Italian sausage only because I have a ton to use up from our deer meat we got processed. I also tagged this in soups. The original picture from Mrs. Happy Homemade (link below) shows no liquid, however when I made it there was a whole pot of liquid. I’m almost wondering if the lid should be left off to cook down more. Either way, hubby is loving it and we are gobbling it down! May the luck of the Irish be with you this weekend!!

Dublin Coddle

(Adapted from Mrs. Happy Homemade)

 

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6 pork sausages (or bratwurst)

12oz thick cut bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled& sliced 1/2″ thick

2 large onions, sliced into 1/2″ half rings

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Guinness beer (or beef broth)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced – plus extra for sprinkling

pepper

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

 

In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon on medium heat until crispy.

Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon & drain on paper towels.

Sear the sausage (or bratwurst) in the bacon grease to brown. Remove the sausages from the pan to drain with the bacon.

 

Remove all but about 1/4 of bacon grease from the pan. Add the sliced onion to the pot, & cover.

Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add in the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, & a sprinkling of pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Pour the onion/broth mixture into a separate dish for a moment.

 

Layer the sliced potatoes along the bottom of your dutch oven. (I diced them up, because I was distracted while reading the directions and trying to cook lol)

Pour the onion/broth mixture over top.

Add in 1/2 of the cooked bacon & 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley. Place the whole sausages on top.

 

Cover, cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat & pour in 1 cup of Guinness beer (or broth).

 

Replace the cover & return to the oven for another 45 minutes.

 

Top with the remaining bacon & a few more sprinkles of fresh parsley once it’s done. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the au jus.

 

*If you want all your bacon crispy, then save it all for the end.