Potato Kielbasa Skillet
07
Remember a million years ago when the computer I used for blog pictures up and died? Well, it only just got up and running again (and will probably die again in about 5 minutes). I found a plethora of blog pics where the pictures were actually good (something I have really been struggling with lately…) but it had been so long that I had no idea what they were. Except for this one, and that’s because even without seeing the pic, it was already on the menu for that very week.
This recipe is pretty easy to remember because it’s one of those dishes where you’re surprised how good it is since it’s so incredibly simple. I mean, it’s not a huge surprise because there’s bacon, potatoes, and sausage, after all, but you know what I mean.
I ate a lot of kielbasa growing up and I don’t know if it was that or other factors but I sort of…stopped eating it. Every once in a while , though, I have this intense craving for it. It’s one of those things where, when I want it I REALLY want it. And when I don’t, I REALLY don’t. Do you have ingredients like that?
Anyway, this dish is perfect for a weeknight, not only because it’s a one-pot meal, but also because it comes together very quickly. The potatoes are microwaved beforehand so you aren’t waiting for them to cook in the skillet, and while you’re heating them you can do other things, like cook the bacon and chop your sausage. I decided to use the bacon fat instead of the olive oil in the recipe because, why use oil when there is perfectly good bacon fat? Other than that and reducing the amount of Dijon by just a little, I stayed pretty true to the recipe. The ingredients in this are incredibly similar to German potato salad so if you like that, you will definitely like this.
Potato Kielbasa Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. redskin potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 3 Tbsp. water
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 3/4 lb. kielbasa or smoked polish sausage, sliced (we have used both traditional pork & turkey kielbasa)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 5 cups baby spinach (or baby arugula)
Directions
- Place the potatoes and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes or until tender; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) cook the bacon until it is crisp and has rendered its fat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. To the hot pan, add the kielbasa and onion, cooking until the onion has softened. Add the potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer until the potatoes are lightly browned.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, thyme, and salt & pepper to taste in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cooked bacon, stirring until spinach has wilted.
Yay for uncovering some old photos! I wish that would happen to me because I have been WAY lazy about making food/a lot of it hasn’t been blog-worthy lately. Sigh.
What a great skillet! Loads of comfort in every bite.
Bad—you used bacon fat. Yay, you used bacon fat. It’s awful, but that really does add a LOT of flavor. I like tossing in the spinach. Girl, that cancels out the bacon as far as health credits go.
I made this for dinner Friday for my 5 year old and me. She took one bite and declared it the best thing I’d ever made. We had only a tiny bit left over – and I polished that off for breakfast the next morning. I used green onions since that’s what I had on hand, and white vinegar because I was out of apple cider vinegar. It was amazing.
So glad to hear that, Jenna! I have to admit, I was a little surprised at how much we liked this the first time we had it!
Bad photos? These sure look good. I feel the same way about bacon fat, or as I like to call it, pork shortening. We save it to use for cooking other stuff as well and the olive oil bottle stays fuller longer. 🙂 Great looking dish!!
A keeper! I know I’ll make this one again, especially when I’m trying to cut back on bread and pasta. (Ugh.)
A couple notes of my own:
– Be sure to use your largest skillet! I only had room for about four cups of spinach and would’ve enjoyed an extra cup (or two).
– Some of my potatoes were still undercooked, even after five more minutes in the microwave. Be sure to chop ’em small and check to see if they’re tender!
– I, like, love sauce, so after eating a serving as-is, I made extra. Yum!