Braised Potatoes with Sausage

This is simple, yummy, and provides a terrific base for loaded potato soup the next night. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 2 pounds all-purpose or waxy potatoes
• 3 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 c. chicken stock or water
• 1 pound kielbasa
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

1. Peel potatoes and cut them into large chunks, in half if they're midsized, or leave whole if small. Slice kielbasa thinly.
2. Put oil in large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until coated in oil and beginning to turn golden. Add onion and sausage and stir a few times until onion softens, a minute or two.
3. Add stock and enough water to cover so that the potatoes are barely covered. Bring to a boil, stirring once in a while to make sure potatoes aren't sticking, then turn down the heat to medium-low so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes get tender, 20-25 minutes. Add more liquid if they start sticking. When a fork slides easily into a potato, they're done. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. If hoping for leftovers that you can turn into potato soup the next day, serve with a slotted spoon and leave a few pieces of sausage.

Serves 4

Leftover Potato Soup

Cook up some more potatoes, peeled and cubed, in the leftover stock. When tender, mash partially in the pot with a potato masher. Stir in some milk until it's to your liking and serve, topped with some grated cheese. The sausage flavor will add a nice richness to this simple soup.