Jims Idea of Dinner----Meat, Potatoes and Saurkraut

So that cute hunky hubby can't get enough potatoes.  I secretly think he views our own home-grown cabbage and potatoes from our own garden as a gold/treasure trove and that he MUST indulge and partake of these products of our work whenever possible.  I have to say that I agree...but not to the extent that he does.  Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes..... So tonight we are having Hot Reindeer Sausage with Red, White and Blue Potatoes we grew in our garden.  I didn't plant or get many blues but I will in the future...these babies pack a powerful punch with flavor, are beautiful to serve and are the crem-de-la-crem of tubers.

You need:  about 2 lbs of potatoes, 1 1/2 pints of sauerkraut I canned last year from our green cabbage, a 1/2 a red onion, 6 reindeer sausages cut into large chunks (he likes it hot) and some black pepper to taste....I did add a little salish (smoked salt)...but the sausage and sauerkraut is salty enough don't add too much.  The blue potatoes are a prized possession....I didn't get many, but they are the BEST!

People at work hear me praise the use of what I call endearingly "Crock Pot Condoms"...Simply put....they are turkey roasting bags or slow cooker bags that keep the dish free from scrubbing.  I am all about less scrubbing and moist food so this works for me.  I could make some crass jokes here but will refrain.  The bag keeps the moisture inside and clean-up is a snap....throw away the bag!

Place all of the ingredients into a bag, sprinkle with some course ground pepper, tie off the bag, shake to distribute ingredients, place back in the baking dish and bake at 300 DF for 1.5 hours.

Taters, Sauerkraut, Onions, Sausage, Pepper....really?  That's all?  Yep!

You are now a hero and it didn't take but 15 minutes of prep time!

Black Bean Salsa

Game day!  What is better on Super Bowl Sunday than easy peel shrimp with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, tequila-lime hot wings, and a cold beer?  Spicy salsa and chips of course!  This is a "no brainer" and comes together so easy.  I'd be willing to bet that you already have all the ingredients in your pantry.

The original recipe comes from Ro-Tel, but I added a few more ingredients to kick it up a little more.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chile
1/2 cup whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup diced cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

Mix all ingredients together cover with plastic wrap and allow the flavors to marry for an hour.  This would also be a great vegetarian taco filling with some cheese to top it off.

Game On!  Go 49rs!!!