Summer Vegetables with Sausage & Potatoes

I am not a sausage connoisseur, by any means. When I get the option of bacon or sausage with my waffles, I never have to debate. However, I thought it would be good to get out of my sausageless food bubble and try something different. Granted, I'm sure the sausage you get with your pancakes at IHOP is not exactly the same as the sausage you pay $5 for at the grocery store. Anyway, me, not knowing anything about sausage, just found the least spicy looking chicken sausage they had.

I liked this recipe. I think I would have liked it more if the sausage wasn't as spicy as it was, but all in all, I think it was a keeper. Doug ended up mixing the leftovers with some eggs for dinner one night and said it was good. This will make a nice omelet mixture if the ingredients were chopped a bit smaller.

When I printed the recipe, it was on two pages. I didn't see that zucchini was included until it came time for me to put it in the pot. I think it was my subconscious knowing that I don't like zucchini and blocking out that part of the page to my eyes when I was buying ingredients....or something like that.

• 1 lb baby red potatoes, cut in half or quartered
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 14 oz Italian chicken sausage, sliced 1 inch thick
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of the knife
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, diced 1 inch squares
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced 1 inch squares
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 inch squares
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (or other fresh herb like thyme)
• 1 cups zucchini, 1/2 inch thick and quartered

Place oil and potatoes in a large, deep non-stick skillet with a tight fitting lid on high heat; season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. When the skillet gets hot and starts to sizzle, reduce heat to low and cook with a tight lid on for about 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent the potatoes from burning. Remove from heat and let them sit 5 minutes without removing the lid. Set potatoes aside on a dish.

Add the sausage to the skillet and saute on medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until browned but not quite cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season chopped vegetables with salt and pepper. Add onions, peppers, garlic and rosemary to the skillet and mix. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until onions and peppers become slightly browned. Add zucchini and cook and additional 5 minutes, mixing as it cooks until cooked through.

Return the potatoes to the skillet and mix well. adjust salt and pepper as needed, cover and cook 5 more minutes.

NOTES: you could make this with any type of sausage you like. If I make it again I will try to pick a less spicy one, but it was still good. Also, I would cut the potatoes and sausage smaller. These were a little larger than a polite "bite size." Maybe leave them large while cooking, but serve it to your friends with a knife.

Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hr, 10 min

Recipe from redtri.com