Sweet and Sour Kielbasa

This is one of the meals we made during out cooking day. This was something my mom always made growing up, mostly for potlucks or a get together. It only involves five ingredients and is super quick to put together and it even cooks itself!  This does make a lot of sauce so I serve it over rice or stir minute rice in about 30 mins-1 hr before we eat it! You can also adapt to how much you need as well. I used 2 pkgs and split it between two of us, but you can use up to 4.

Sweet and Sour Kielbasa
3-4 pkg of your favorite kielbasa(I use butterball turkey)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 12 oz jar salsa
1-2 tbsp grape jelly
1-2 tbsp brown sugar

Slice kielbasa and place into a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can add more or less of the jelly/sugar depending on how you like it!

**This is one of our family favorites and is generally ALWAYS gone at potlucks!

Smoked Sausage Kabobs

K grew up eating smoked sausage also knows as kielbasa as his mother is polish. I of course ate it growing up too, but we have a different idea of how to cook it. He always had it boiled, while we tended to grill it with bbq sauce or broiled it. We used to eat it with a box of mac and cheese because K could handle this meal, but I'm always on the look out for a new way to cook it.

Smoked Sausage Kabobs- from Taste of Home Recipes 2009
1 lb smoked sausage(I used turkey), sliced into 1 inch slices
1-2 sweet peppers, largely cubed
1 onion, largely cubed
1 pkg grape or cherry tomatoes
other veggies(zucchini, mushrooms, etc)
bamboo or metal skewers

Sauce:
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced(I used the microplane)
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

*If using a gas or charcoal grill, make sure to soak bamboo skewers for at least 30 mins beforehand.

Mix together sauce ingredients and set aside.

Alternate, ingredients on skewer until skewer is full and all ingredients have been used. Place on grill(I used our George Foreman) and baste with sauce. Let cook for 2 mins, flip and baste with sauce and continue to cook until cooked through. (I went about 7 mins on my grill, you may need less time on a gas/charcoal grill).

**We really liked the combination of the sauce. I will cook them a little longer next time as they weren't piping hot, but they were very flavorful. K couldn't believe how much flavor was on them. I will also forgo the skewers next time especially if its just us. It's too time consuming and then they just get pulled apart to eat them anyway. They would be great for entertaining!

North Woods Bean Soup

This was an unusual soup that I found on For the Love of Cooking. It used smoked sausage(aka kielbasa). I am always looking for different ways to use it and this peaked my interest. I knew I had one lonely package still in the freezer so onto the menu it went.

North Woods Bean Soup-adapted from For the Love of Cooking

1 qt low sodium chicken broth
2.5 cups water(+1 bouillon cube,if prefered)
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained well
1 pkg smoked sausage
3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp each: thyme, basil, and oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Place carrots, celery, and onion in pot with oil. Saute until light brown. Dump into slow cooker. Sauted sausage with garlic until sausage is lightly browned. Add to cooker along with broth, water, beans, and seasonings, stir. Turn on low for 2 hrs or until heated through. You can also cook this on the stove in a large soup pot.  My cooker then switches to low, so it stayed warm. If left on for a long period of time, your sausage turns a funny color, but still tastes good.

**Despite the sausage being a funny color, it tasted wonderful! Also my inlaws were here for dinner and we ran out the door so I did not get a picture of it! Q LOVED it!