Speaking of busy seasons, it's been about two months since I blogged. I am hanging my head in shame right now. I actually cooked this meal in September. Ha! Over the past two months in this house we've had three holidays, two colds, and one yucky bout of RSV. So yeah...things were a little hectic. But life is a bit slower now, at least for the next 6 to 7 weeks until baby girl graces us with her presence. So for now, I'm off to check a box.
Beer-Glazed Sausage and Apples
Very slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, fall 2012
- 1 12 oz. bottle Belgium-style wheat beer (I used some out-of-date Leinenhugel's)
- 1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper, depending on your preferences
- 1 14-16 oz. package smoked sausage (I used kielbasa) cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. fresh green beans
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 medium cooking apples, cored and thinly sliced (I used granny smiths to counter-balance the sweetness of the glaze)
- 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
- 1 carton baby white mushrooms (12 ounces)
In a large saucepan bring 1/2 of the beer and the crushed
red pepper to a boil. Next, add the sausage and green
beans. Reduce the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook 5-8
minutes until the beans are tender. Drain and
set the meat and beans aside. In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of
the butter, and add the mushrooms. When mushrooms are about two-thirds done, add the apples. Cook
until the apples are just tender. Transfer mushrooms and apples to a platter. Add the
sausage and green beans to the skillet you cooked the apples in. Cook
the mixture, turning occasionally, until the sausage is browned on all
sides. Once the sausage is browned, remove it and the beans from the
skillet and drain any excess fat. Next, carefully add the remaining beer to
skillet (mixture may foam) and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Add
the remaining butter, brown sugar, vinegar, and orange
peel to the skillet. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil the
glaze gently, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Place the sausage and green beans back into the skillet to coat in the
glaze. Then, fold in the apples and mushrooms. Cook over low heat until heated through.
This dish came out a little sweet for my liking. If you like sweet, you will like this. If you want to lessen the sweetness, you can just reduce the brown sugar. Or, if you want to counteract the sweetness a bit I would suggest going for the entire teaspoon of red pepper, sticking with a tart apple, and using a spicier sausage. Enjoy!
