Spicy sausage and sweet tater breakfast hardy enough to hold off winter’s chill
The Yankee Chef | Jan 12, 2014 | Comments 0
By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com
H ere’s a simple, savory and filling breakfast fit for whatever Mother Nature throws at us this winter. The scent of sausage cooking in the kitchen reminds me of the fairgrounds in the summer. With a minimal amount of spices, the flavor of the sweet potatoes and sausage shines through easily. If you don’t have sweet potatoes or yams and don’t feel like running to the store, simply replace with white potatoes. It’s Just That Simple©.
1 large sweet potato, about 1 pound
1/4 pound hot Italian sausage, partially frozen
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 eggs
Cornbread squares, optional
Peel and cube sweet potato. Boil until crisp tender over high heat, about 4 to 5 minutes depending on the size of your cubes. Immediately drain and cool in refrigerator, uncovered.
Slice the sausage into 1/4-inch thick slices; set aside. In a large skillet (I use a cast-iron frying pan for best results) add the butter and garlic. Over medium heat, cook garlic until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage slices and continue cooking, and frequently stirring, until no longer pink in the middle, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the diced, cooked potato, onion powder, celery seed, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until potatoes have started to brown and everything is heated through, another 5 to 7 minutes, adding more butter if necessary to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, cook eggs to your desired preparation.
To serve, ladle sausage mixture onto three serving plates and top each with a cooked egg. Served with a cornbread square and you have breakfast to hold you over for the morning.
Schiffer Books of Pennsylvania has released Jim Bailey’s new book The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen. It contains more than 550 traditional New England comfort-food recipes tweaked for today’s palates with hundreds of kitchen tips and food facts. The hardback book is 312 pages and contains 200 color images. Its ISBN is 978-0-7643-4191-5 and the cost is $34.99. The book can be ordered through Misty Valley Books, 802-875-3400.
Filed Under: Community and Arts Life • The Yankee Chef
About the Author: Jim Bailey is a third generation Yankee Chef, New England food historian and newspaper columnist. His first cookbook, simply titled The Yankee Chef, has been published. He welcomes all feedback, questions or comments at theyankeechef@aol.com.