Christmas Vacation, Edible Souveniers and Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

After a refreshing break, I'm back in gear once again and ready to go grab the New Year for all it's worth. (Ciao 2014, glad to see YOU in the rearview mirror!) 

This post might just as well be titled "What I Did On My Winter Vacation" and it's complete with lots of photos. Be grateful there isn't a slide show ala the 50's and 60's! (At least I would have served up some decent party foods and more than a few cocktails to make for an interesting evening.)

Where did I go? Baltimore. Yes, once again. It's so close and there is SO much going on all over! We visited old favorite spots and checked out new (to us, anyway) restaurants and bars...one we felt so comfortable in, we went back the next night! (Yes, I'm talking about YOU, Rye!)

Come on! Let's go on a guided tour. I just wish you could be feeling the warm sun and 60 degree weather we had IN DECEMBER(!) nearly the entire time we were there. Once we're done, there will be a new recipe for an easy, comfort food kinda dinner for the fam or company. Ready? Let's go!

No, it didn't take long to hit our favorite spot...you all know by now it's Bad Decisions. Let it be known that we DID check in to the Admiral Fell Inn first and even had a quick bite across the street before entering.

Really. There was food involved too...Ale Mary's is KNOWN for their tots! We enjoyed the Reuben tots....YUM!

Okay, I digress...back to Bad Decisions. AND Ostrowski's Home Made Sausage! John Reusing, owner of Bad Decisions, bought the sausage factory next door recently. Along with the famous Ostrowski family recipes, one massive smoker came along with the deal. What a find for the bar famous for Beer and Bacon nights! 

Kimber and I, and our dear friends Marti and Meredith, were favored with a private tour of the historic shop along with some excellent sampling. We left with containers of Sriracha sauerkaut, gypsy kielbassa (LOTS of black pepper!) and good spicy and smoky andouille.

Ostrowski's by night. (Photo credit: John Reusing)

On to the next stop!

Rye (see above, we stopped here BOTH nights in town!) is sexy as hell, if you're a cocktail afficianado. We are. Don't miss one of Doug and Dan's classic or original creations. Obviously, with a visit both Friday and Saturday nights, Kimber and I are fans. BIG fans! 

Tots seemed to be the noshing theme of the night. On the way back to the hotel, we made a stop at a new-to-us spot on South Broadway. 

Look at the size of the crab lumps in these Crabby Tots at Alexanders's Tavern! And for me, they have an extensive gluten-free menu. Apparently that's what happens when both the owner AND chef are celiac. 

Back to the hotel for a good rest....LOTS to do tomorrow!

Good morning, Fells Point! You're beautiful! (The view from our windows...not too shabby, eh?)

Starting the day at Slainte (where soccer is religion!)...and yes, a substantial breakfast followed. The housemade corned beef hash was particularly incredible! (Note to self...more effort must be made on photographing food, not just cocktails.) 

And now, our morning walk.

Dragon boats at the Inner Harbor. Notice the National Aquarium in the background?

Um...the Chesapeake. Duh.

From there, we stopped at shops galore and walked along the water the entire way back to Fells Point. Such a walkable area! Along the way, we noticed Brian Voltaggio's Family Meal nestled into the Power Plant by the other side of the aquarium. Temporary signs were in place and it looked as if it were ready to open at any time. After we got home, I saw that was their opening day. Missed opportunity! (The Frederick, MD Family Meal is a favorite spot of Kimber's and mine to stop on the way back to Pittsburgh.) 

Of course, our walk included a pause at The Horse You Came In On...complete with a wee sample of the Jack Daniels vanilla infusion. Happy moment WITH live music during the day!

Once back at the hotel, it was time for a nap before heading out once more. On the way to dinner at Lobo, there were a few dalliances at familiar watering stations along the way; Riptide By The Bay ("where the locals lounge"), the Waterfront Hotel (if you watched Homicide any time during its long run, this is the bar the cops bought). 

With the sun starting to lower in the sky, it was a cool, crisp walk to Canton on the far side of the harbor. And absolutely lovely.

And there was this "sailing" down Aliceanna Street heading for Canton. Captain James Landing is quite the landmark!

At last, we arrived at our destination for our evening's repast. Lobo is a new and thoroughly delightful restaurant on the scene in the Fells Point/Canton area of Baltimore. It came highly recommended by John Reusing, the owner of both Bad Decisions and Ostrowski's. He was SO right!

One gorgeous charcuterie board at Lobo! (BTW, Lobo = the Spanish word for Wolf...and the restaurant is on  the corner of Aliceanna and WOLF Streets!)

Crab fingers in the dead of winter and luscious shrimp cocktail. Oh, and a kickass cocktail to boot!

A slow walk back to the hotel, another stop at Bad Decisions (a GOOD decision), and nitey nite.

Good morning, Baltimore! (Cue song from Hairspray). No beautiful sunrise this morning. It was dreary. Who cares, we'd experienced warm 60 degree weather the entire trip and rain on the way home would be no big deal. And from here on we'd be driving to our destinations anyway. We had reservations for brunch at the esteemed Woodberry Kitchen in Hampden awaiting!

Nope, that's not Woodberry Kitchen. It IS the kitschy and delightful Cafe Hon in Hampden, home of Honfest. We were running early and stopped for a cuppa Joe.

Look who was waiting for us inside! Who knew Elvis was an ugly Christmas sweater fan?!

Finally at Woodberry Kitchen with a brunch cocktail. We HAD to, it was Doctor's Orders! (Name of the cocktail, really! It included carrot shrub, so you KNOW it was good for you.)

Well, look at that...I remembered to take a pic of our food. Cheese grits on the right, and on the main plate, housemade maple sausage and their own bacon. The toast was the most wonderful gluten-free bread I've ever had. Owner/chef Spike Gjerde's wife is celiac so they KNOW their GF!

Once full and happy, we headed for one last stop before hitting the road. We always peruse the aisles of the local spirits stores looking for the new and unusual.

What an extensive collection of wines, spirits, beers, bitters, charcuterie...everything you'd ever need for your very own party extrordinaire!

Well, look at that. Right in the heart of one of the hippest areas of Baltimore, we found a little bit of Pittsburgh. Hello, Wigle!

So cool finding a bit of the 'Burgh in the heart of Baltimore. And now, since I brought back a bit of Baltimore to the 'Burgh, the promised recipe using our treasured Sriracha sauerkraut and Gypsy sausage from Ostrowski's. Don't you just love delicious, edible souvenirs?!    

Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

• 1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
• 3/4 of a large onion, diced
• 1 LARGE potato, scrubbed, peel left on and sliced thinly

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 3 T minced onion
• 1 T Crazy Salt
• 3 T jalapeno ketchup (Heinz makes it and we can't live without it!)
• 1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 lb Ostrowski's Sriracha sauerkraut, drained - RESERVE JUICE* - optional, regular sauerkraut or add Sriracha to a pound of fresh sauerkraut to taste (or wait for John to get online ordering up and running for Ostrowski's!)
• 1 lb fresh, Ostrowski's unsmoked gypsy kielbassa, fried until browned on the outside and sliced into rounds - again, use regular unsmoked or wait for online ordering at Ostrowski's!
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix together the filling ingredients: ground beef through Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

In a lasagna or other casserole dish, layer the diced cabbage, diced onion and sliced potatoes. Dollop beef mixture on top. 

Dollops of filling while the dish is in progress.

Cover with sauerkraut, tomatoes & rounds of kielbassa. Cover dish securely with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes. Check to be sure the potatoes and cabbage are cooked thoroughly and give it another half hour if not soft and tender. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. 

Makes great leftovers!

*Why reserve the sauerkraut juice? For picklebacks, of course! What's a pickleback? A shot of Jameson IMMEDIATELY followed by a shot of picklejuice, or in this case, sriracha sauerkraut juice. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 

Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw

It's been a while since I've done a quickie - fast to make with a few ingredients - a few words to tell about it. It's time!
 
Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw is perfectly designed for Autumn. As fall is a segue between warm and cold weather, this slaw combines a fresh and crunchy summer cabbage slaw with sweet apples and tart cool weather sauerkraut.  The essence of autumn in a slaw, for sure.

Instead of a creamy dressing, a vinegar, sugar and honey dressing accents the mix. There's not much vinegar needed in the dressing compared to the amount of sugar and honey - sauerkraut helps to balance what might initially seem like too much sweetness. 

Can't you just imagine this tart/sweet treat on top of a beautifully browned brat or hot dog OR as a spiffy side dish?! Yeah, me too. With no further adieu....enjoy!

 Apple Caraway Sauerkraut Slaw

• 4 cups store-bought coleslaw mix
• 1/2 green pepper, slivered into 3/4" pieces
• 3/4 cup store-bought sauerkraut
• 1 small tart apple, skin on, cut into slivers

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup honey - you know I like my organic orange blossom honey!
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Combine all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
 
Combine all the slaw ingredients. Pour dressing over slaw. Mix very well. Serve.
 
That's it!

Told you it was a quickie!

Beer-Braised Reuben Meatball Hoagies

There are favorite sandwiches all over this great country of ours...a Primanti's sandwich here in Pittsburgh, a Polish Boy in Cleveland.  Baltimore? The venerable crabcake sandwich. But there is one that sandwich that goes by different names all over the U.S.  What is it? Well, that depends.

Whether you call it a hoagie (Pittsburgh), sub (Baltimore), grinder (Boston) or a hero, the big, long sandwich on an enormous bun is one of America's favorite casual meals. 

Another favorite sandwich is a Reuben, so why not make it a best-of-both Reuben meatball hoagie? Why not indeed.

In quest of a union of the two esteemed sandwiches, I put together a mixture of canned corned beef (Why canned? It crumbled and combined SO well with the other ingredients!), ground pork, egg, panko, shredded Swiss, chopped Bavarian sauerkraut, mustard and other goodies. The result? The meatballs turned out light, tender and jam packed with Reuben-y goodness. A chunky topping of more sauerkraut, onion, butter and beer complemented the sandwich to perfection.

What an ideal make-ahead meal for the middle of the week! Heat them up and pile them on crusty buns. If you're lucky enough to find rye rolls, even better! Accompanied by a crisp and crunchy Kosher dill pickles, Beer-Braised Reuben Meatball Hoagies make a hearty meal in these cold winter months.  

Some very lucky guests would enjoy these at a weekend get-together, too.  In fact, I'm going to tuck this one away to pull out for Steelers tailgates next year! Is it too early to say, Go Steelers?!

  

Beer-Braised Reuben Meatball Hoagies

Makes 24 meatballs or 8 sandwiches

• 1 can corned beef brisket, canned, crumbled with your fingers or mashed with a fork
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 14 oz. can Bavarian (with caraway seeds) sauerkraut, 1/2 c. removed & chopped, the rest of the can reserved  (if you don't like caraway seeds, use regular sauerkraut)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free if you want to make this GF
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded - preshredded is just fine
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted in a skillet
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• sauerkraut, what's remaining in the can above
• 1 cup beer, gluten-free to make this GF
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 8 hoagie rolls, sliced - gluten-free to make this GF
• Swiss cheese, shredded, extra for the tops

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Lightly mix the ingredients from corned beef through black pepper. Form into approximately 2" balls and set on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake 25 minutes, turn and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon into a large casserole dish.
 
While the meatballs are baking, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until wilted. Add the rest of the can of sauerkraut, 1/2 t. caraway seeds and the beer. Quickly whisk in the cornstarch until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thick.
 
Pour the sauerkraut/beer mixture over the meatballs in the casserole dish. Serve on hoagie (or sub or grinder....you get the picture) rolls with a little shredded Swiss on top.
 
NOTE: If you don't like caraway seeds, leave them out!


NOTE 2: Wish I'd thought of this before....these would be great for a cocktail party on little slider rolls!

Saturday Sauerkraut-Making at The Butterjoint

Here's a math problem for you:  
        1 huge batch of thinly sliced veggies
        + salt
        + time = ?
 
The answer is sauerkraut! 

Butterjoint, the new cocktail lounge that is part of Legume restaurant on N. Craig Street in Oakland tweeted recently they were holding a FREE sauerkraut making class -  first come, first served who responded to the Tweet. I hopped right onto that offer...my German heritage, and perhaps the spirits of my frugal German ancestors, wouldn't let me pass up that deal!
 

Tyler (left) and Trevett (right)

Six sauerkraut making neophytes gathered in the gleaming, pristine stainless steel kitchen that serves both Butterjoint and Legume. Trevett, Executive chef, and Tyler demonstrated the technique involved in the proper preparation of the soon-to-be fermented produce. Then the hands-on fun began. 

We each got our own cutting board and selected a damned sharp knife. Cabbages were plucked from plastic tubs on the counter to give our own amateur knife skills a whirl. Cabbage wasn't the only veggie waiting to be shredded...rutabagas, celeriac, turnips, carrots, kohlrabi, onions and parsnips waited to make a delightful melange of flavors. No plain Jane stuff going on here, this was going to be sauerkraut with pizzazz!  

As our busy, but careful (sharp knives, you know) group sliced and slivered our way through pounds of veggies, we deposited the fruits (veggies?) of our labors into a giant rectangular plastic bin. Slowly, but surely, the mound grew until it weighed enough to be able to end up with a quart jar of goodies for each person in the class. 

Three tablespoons of salt for each five pounds of shredded cabbage and vegetables was sprinkled over the jumble of veggie confetti. Then the muscle power kicked in. 

Developing both sauerkraut AND muscles!

Each of us took our turn mixing, kneading and squeezing the mishmash with salt until there was a bin of vegetables that had exuded liquid to become the wet mass we were looking for.


Layer by layer we tightly packed and tamped salted, wet veggies into into our own quart jars. Trevett and Tyler used a wider mouth jar and a wine bottle for the compression process - more efficient than our small ladles or muddlers.

Taking the mixture to the very top of the container and being sure to have enough liquid to cover it all, the jars were capped and the waiting began. We were cautioned to "burp" our jars regularly and not to tighten them too much.  

How long until we finally get to enjoy our very own, good-for-you homemade (okay, restaurant kitchen-made) fermented veggies? That depends on you. Trevett recommended you taste it in a couple of days to see how you like it and occasionally after that until it suits your own tastes. His advice was to refrigerate it until used once it reaches the sourness you like.

Why go to all this trouble? For starters, anything homemade tastes better than canned or store-bought and the canned variety. 

Then there's the health benefit. Just like live-culture yogurt, the fermentation process develops beneficial bacteria that's good for your body and for your gut. Store bought sauerkraut kills the live bacteria in the canning process.  It might taste good, but the health benefit is lost. 

Another big positive is being able to ferment whatever veggie selection strikes your fancy at the moment...and whatever is in season at the time. Probably the best reason of all is that it just tastes good.  Well, that and it was a hell of a lot of fun.          

Will I do this again?  Already I'm making a list of the combos I want to try....cabbage, onion and apple with caraway seeds is next on my list! That should be perfect for my Winekraut from last fall.  

Winekraut Casserole with Bratwursts and Dumplings

 
I've already checked into buying my very own sauerkraut crock. Ace Hardware has a great one at a very reasonable price.  You hear that Santa?

Bavarian Sauerkraut Salad to Welcome Fall

Early this morning, before dawn even, thunder rumbled in the distance, breezes gently stirred the windchimes into a soft melody... no rain was yet falling, but you could sense it in the ripe and ready atmosphere.  Hot, humid air was being bullied out of the way by a much welcome and anticipated cold front.  Hurry up!  Get here!  Get rid of this sticky stuff...I'm ready for you Fall!

So I happily stayed awake enjoying the stealth of the weather creeping closer.  The wind picked up, the music of the chimes became up-tempo jazz, thunder was joined by lightning to put on quite the show while raindrops beat a soft sizzle counter-rhythm.  Not for long though, as a BOOM of thunder ignited an explosion of lightning. Wind roared and whistled outside the window and drumming rain drowned out all else.  

Well done, Fall.  You know how to make an entrance!

Here is an appropriate Fall-ish dish.

 Bavarian Sauerkraut Salad or Relish

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 16 ounce can sauerkraut, Bavarian style (has caraway seeds)
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped fine
• 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup pimiento, chopped fine

In a small pot, stir together sugar and vinegar.  Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  (Watch this carefully, it doesn't take long.  You don't want smoking, black sugar and vinegar caramel.  Don't ask how I know that.) Remove from heat.  Cool.

Mix the sugar/vinegar syrup into the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate overnight or just for an hour if that's all you have.  Good as salad or as relish for German sausages.  Double the recipe if you're going to serve it as a salad.

NOTE:  I originally enjoyed this sweet & sour treat in the late 80's at a covered dish dinner.  A neighbor brought it, everyone loved it!  She said it was a "secret" recipe and no, she wouldn't divulge the secret.  Her wonderful daughter, Merry, shared it with every one of us the next day.  Turns out, it wasn't so secret after all.  It's the same recipe that apparently everyone has...it's all over the place.  So I'm sharing this not-so-secret secret recipe with all of YOU. 

(I did change it up a little, though.  The original recipe just added the sugar and vinegar to the rest of the ingredients without cooking - I like to be sure the sugar dissolves before adding to the veggies.  You can do it either way you like!  

One more thing...I thought I had a green pepper.  I didn't.  I DID have a poblano pepper...hey, it was green!  I liked it even better!  The mild heat of a poblano was just right - I think a jalapeno would be too much.)

     

Bratwurst Reubens

There we were looking into the fridge staring at leftover brats from Sunday’s neighborhood shindig while craving Reubens....hmmmmm...what's for dinner, what's for dinner....helllllooooo.  Necessity became the mother of the Bratwurst Reuben!

Imagine the good stuff of a Reuben grilled on rye, piled with sauerkraut, oozing with melted Swiss cheese…only using brats sizzled in the skillet instead of corned beef.  Quick and easy, too! 

All that was needed were a couple of Kosher dill pickle spears and a choice of Thousand Island Dressing or good old brown mustard.  Delish.  Or should that be deli-ish?  Not a kraut fan?  Make them into Rachels with a good slaw in place of the kraut!

Bratwurst Reubens

Makes 2

• 4 slices rye bread
• butter
• 3 bratwursts, sliced almost through lengthwise and open like a book
• 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
• Sauerkraut, drained VERY well – I like the Bohemian-style kraut with caraway seeds
• red onion, sliced so thin it's almost shaved
• Mustard
• Thousand Island dressing

Butter the bread.  In a large skillet or griddle, place 2 slices of rye side by side.  Top each slice with 2 slices of cheese, then 3 brat halves on each, 3-4 T of kraut spread out evenly on each, a layer of the red onion, 2 more slices of cheese on each and then top with the remaining buttered rye.

Grill over medium heat until each side is browned and beautiful and the cheese is melted.

Serve with mustard and/or Thousand Island dressing to dip.

Good Old (New Fashioned) Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage - just a little bit lighter.

Whether you call it golumpki, holupki, sarma or even hand grenades, Sunday’s here in Pittsburgh sometimes come with a big ole pan of stuffed cabbage.  Yep, yet another hearty, stick-to-your-ribs winter dish to fuel your inner furnace on a cold, blustery day. 

I know what you’re thinking right now…but Linda, you said you were going to be making healthy food for a while.  And I am.  Each stuffed cabbage roll has ONLY (approximately) 175 calories and only 7 total grams of fat.   

I changed up the recipe and used half ground chicken and half extra lean ground beef to help cut the count here...I also used brown rice instead of white to help bump up the nutrition, but even without making those adjustments stuffed cabbage was always pretty doggone healthy anyway. With the cabbage and sauerkraut,  there's LOTS of fiber, too!  (Whatever happened to “roughage”? That poor word must feel neglected and uncool these days.)

Tradition in our house means serving mashed potatoes alongside…with just a little tomato-y pan juice drizzled over the snowy white mound for me, a big pat of butter for the hubby.  I’m skipping the potatoes myself, but I wouldn’t make Mark do without…besides which, I couldn’t bear seeing those sad blue eyes if I didn’t make them especially for him! 

Good Old (New Fashioned) Stuffed Cabbage

Makes approximately 18 rolls

 

• 1 head green cabbage leaves, cut core from bottom, put entire whole head in large pot, core end down in about 4" of water, cook until cabbage is nearly cooked through. Drain and cool
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 cup brown rice, the instant variety
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted!
• 1 can sauerkraut, Bohemian kind or with caraway seeds or plain if you - don't like caraway seeds...I do, juice drained and RESERVED

• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 can tomato soup (To make this gluten-free, use the Heinz brand found in the import section of the grocery store.  This is from England.  It isn't condensed.)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
 

While cabbage is cooling, mix together ground beef, rice, onion, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, ranch dressing mix, reserved sauerkraut juice and 1/2 a can of the tomatoes.  Mix well.
 

Spread the sauerkraut evenly in the bottom of a 9 X 12 (or equivalent) baking pan. 
 

Separate cabbage leaves.  Take 1 cabbage leaf, use about 1/4 c. meat mixture and place it at the stem end of the leaf.  Fold in sides and roll up like a burrito.  Continue doing this until all the meat is gone and the pan is full.  As you assemble each roll, place it on top of the sauerkraut.  Tuck them tightly together if you need more room. When all the rolls are neatly in place, coarsely chop the remaining cabbage leaves and scatter over the top.  

 

The cabbage rolls just before going into the oven.

Mix the remaining tomatoes with the wine, tomato juice, tomato soup and sugar and pour evenly over the top of the rolls.   If your baking pan doesn't have a lid (mine doesn't) cover loosely with foil and bake for 3 hours. 
 

Serve as is or with mashed potatoes.

Winekraut

Winekraut with Dumplings

Brrrr, it's cold out there!  Do you have one of those stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals that always warms you up....body AND soul?  Winekraut is one of those true comfort food meals for us.  

Good tart sauerkraut smoothed out by the sweetness of apples, onions and a wee bit of brown sugar, made hearty with chunks of potato, loads of bratwurst and smoked sausage all simmered together in white wine right on top of the stove.  Your house will smell wonderful!  

I really like to top the winekraut off with dumplings - okay, not the prettiest of breads, they serve to sop up the juices and seem to thicken the dish ever so slightly.  If you don't care for dumplings, serve the winekraut without them!  Good pumpernickel rolls with sweet butter make a good accompaniment, too!

• 1 27 ounce can sauerkraut, I really like Bavarian sauerkraut with caraway seeds

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, diced

• 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 3/4 pounds bratwurst links, cut into chunks

• 3/4 pounds smoked sausage, cut into chunks

Mix all ingredients in large dutch oven on the stovetop.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cover and simmer 45 minutes.  Uncover and top with dumpling batter.  Cook uncovered 10 minutes then cover and cook another 10 minutes.  Serve
 

Dumplings:  1 1/2 cup Bisquick, 1/2 cup milk.  Stir together and spoon onto hot casserole as above.  

NOTE:  To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free Bisquick!

Reuben Baked Potatoes

Reuben Baked Potatoes

Easy, cheesy, Reuben goodness in a potato.  Mmmmm.  If you love Reubens (and who doesn't?!)....how about turning that fave sandwich into a different dinner the gang will love.  Sometimes I make them the night before because they're just as good the next day. 

Reuben Baked Potatoes

• 4 russet potatoes, pierced

• 2 Tablespoons butter

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

• 1 cup corned beef brisket, chopped

• 1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

• Russian salad dressing, purchased or homemade

Preheat oven to 450.

Bake potatoes for 1 hour and let rest until cool enough to handle.

Cut the tops lengthwise off the potatoes.  Scoop out potato leaving 1/4" shell. Place shells on pan. 

Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the onions until golden.  Add sauerkraut, caraway & scooped potato, breaking up the potato.  Mix & heat until it begins to brown.  Add corned beef and ¾ C. of the cheese.  Spoon into the shells & top with remaining cheese.  Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Drizzle with Russian dressing to serve

NOTE:  To make Russian dressing:  Mix 1/2 mayo with a little ketchup or chili sauce and add a little pickle relish.  Mix well.  Voila!  Russian dressing!

P.S.  These are naturally gluten-free, too!