Easiest One-Dish Meal

Here's a one-dish recipe that's great for company or a quick weekday solution when everyone's sick of doing dishes.

I don't know about you, but when I have company, I'd rather spend my time with them, sipping Prosecco and eating appetizers, than fussing with something complicated in the kitchen. So I tend to go simple when guests are coming. This tasty one dish meal is all in the timing, and has been pretty popular among my friends and family. I can prep it before guests arrive, stick it in the oven on my time and serve it when everyone's had their fill of finger food and is ready to chow down. Since it's so easy, you can make an elaborate dessert earlier in the day or the day before, so everyone will know you've put in plenty of effort.

One Dish Sausage Potatoes and Cabbage

1.5 lb. mixed baby potatoes (Yukon Gold, red, purple)

6 cloves garlic, sliced

2 sprigs rosemary

2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, butcher made

1 large to medium sized cabbage

1 t. fennel seed

juice of half a lemon

fresh ground black pepper

olive oil

About 30 minutes before guests arrive, preheat oven to 400F, and cut potatoes into approximately 1" to 1 1/2" pieces. In a large roasting pan, toss potatoes together with 2-3 T. olive oil, 3 sliced garlic cloves, rosemary and fresh pepper . Shake pan to spread out potatoes evenly. Set aside.

Cut sausages in half. In a large skillet, over high heat, warm 1 T. olive oil. Brown sausages, shaking pan occasionally and turning once to brown the sides, about 8 minutes. Sausages do not need to be cooked through since they'll cook again in the oven. Use tongs to remove sausages from pan to a plate. Carefully pour off all but 1 T. of the sausage renderings.

Remove tough outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut into quarters and cut away the thick core. Slice each quarter thinly, or use a mandoline or food processor to get thin strands, similar to sauer kraut. Over high heat, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the sausage skillet. When the oil is hot, add the cabbage, 3 cloves of sliced garlic, and teaspoon of fennel seed. Cook, stirring from time to time, until cabbage wilts and a few edges begin to brown. Add lemon juice and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Allow juice to meld with the cabbage, about one minute more, and remove from heat.

When all your guests have arrived, put the roasting pan with the potatoes into the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes. Shake the pan at least once to brown potatoes evenly. When you're about 15 minutes from wanting to serve, remove roasting pan from the oven. Pile up potatoes on one side of the pan. Add the cabbage from the skillet to the other half of the pan. Arrange the browned sausages on top of the cabbage. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8