For trick-or-treaters of all ages, there’s little time to waste eating dinner when there are doorbells to ring and candy to collect.
Most years, I whirl together a large kettle of pumpkin, apples, and carrots, all cooked to tenderness in chicken broth, into a luscious soup. This year, I’ll serve small bowls of this sweet-savory soup alongside warm, cheesy sausage sandwiches.
A golden, spicy, mustard-laced onion, cabbage, and apple mixture tops fully cooked sausages before they are covered in cheese and broiled. The cabbage mixture can be made several days in advance, so last-minute prep is kept to a minimum.
Select the sausage flavor as desired, but be sure to use fully cooked. Chicken sausages, flavored with apple and gouda or Swiss cheese and bacon, prove delicious here. Fully cooked Polish sausages or mild Italian sausages make a richer sandwich. In our experience, fully cooked bratwurst please most guests.
Of course, you can forgo the buns and simply serve the sausages nestled in the onion mixture under the blanket of cheese for a skillet dinner.
Either way, sweet corn on the cob, a bean salad, and plenty of pumpkin soup make this a meal easily doubled, or even tripled, for a crowd. All treats, no tricks, here!
Cheesy Chicken Sausage Sandwiches
Note: Fully cooked bratwurst, Polish sausage, and mild Italian sausage taste great here, too.Makes 6 servings
- 1 large (14-ounce) sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups (8 ounces total) finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 small tart apple, peeled, cored, chopped
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 fully cooked chicken sausages, such as apple-gouda or bacon, cheese, and mushroom
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chives, or green onion tops
- 6 brioche hotdog buns or sausage rolls
- 6 thick slices provolone or muenster cheese, cut in half
Cut onion in half through stem end. Cut each half into 1/4-inch thick wedges. Heat a large (12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add oil, butter, and onion. Saute over medium-high heat until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in cabbage and apple. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until onion is golden and cabbage is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in mustard, salt, and pepper. (Mixture can be made up to three days in advance; refrigerate covered. Reheat well before proceeding with recipe.)
Pierce sausages in several places to prevent splitting. Nestle sausages into the hot onion mixture. Cover pan and cook on medium until sausages are heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a 13-by 9-inch metal baking pan with foil. Split rolls lengthwise down the middle 3/4 of the way through. Arrange rolls in prepared pan split-side up.
Gently open rolls and add a few spoonfuls of the onion mixture to each roll. Top each with a sausage. Cover with the remaining onion mixture. Arrange two pieces of cheese over each sandwich.
Broil, 6 inches from heat source, until cheese is melty and golden, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Speedy Pumpkin Soup
Note: Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream or creme fraiche, if desired, for a creamy soup.Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed, optional
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 (16-ounce) can solid-pack pure pumpkin
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro or chives, for serving
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, onion, and apple. Cook and stir until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and curry powder; cook 30 seconds. Stir in pumpkin, broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Simmer soup over medium-low heat, stirring often, until carrot is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with cilantro or chives.
