sprinklefingers

holy moses. it’s been one thing after another around here.

tough decisions, cranky kid and my husband’s rock & roll lifestyle have really been cramping my super-mom-super-business-owner style.

i’ll be the first to admit it: getting dinner on the table before 7 pm has really been tough for me for the past week or so.

yesterday i decided to put an end to it.

first, i forced myself to get out of bed 20 minutes earlier than usual and i started dinner. nothing elaborate. sausages with tomatoes, onions and white beans. something like a stew. but thicker. i literally threw it all in a dutch oven and slid it into the oven - letting it cook while i made breakfast, got ready for work and attempted to soothe a cranky-ass kid.

an hour or so later (after a bit of cooling) i put the whole thing in the fridge…and when i got home from work (what seems like 393 hours later,) i reheated it. dinner magically ready! before 7 pm!

make ahead sausages & beans

you need:

• 2 lbs mild italian sausage links (i prefer pork)
• 2 15 oz cans best quality diced tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 3-5 cloves garlic, depending upon size, minced
• olive oil - a few good glugs
• red wine vinegar - a few healthy splashes
• 3 t dried italian herb mix (something containing basil & oregano will be good)
• salt - to taste
• pepper - to taste
• 1 lb cooked cannellini beans (or canned)
• 1 loaf whole grain artisan bread (day old preferred)

to make dinner:

1. preheat your oven to 425.
2. mix everything from the sausages through the pepper in a large roasting pan or dutch oven. (put everything on the list in the pan EXCEPT the beans.)
3. place the pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
4. to serve immediately: remove the pan from the oven and check a sausage for doneness. stir in the beans and slide pan back in the oven for 5 or so minutes to heat through.
5. to serve later: after you’ve checked a sausage for doneness, leave the pan on a cooling rack for a few minutes.
6. once initially cooled, make some room in the fridge for your pan and set it in the fridge on top of a cooling rack.
7. when you’re ready to eat, remove the pan from the oven and either reheat in the oven or on the stove top. once hot, mix in the beans and return to the heat for a few minutes to heat through.
8. to serve: place 2 thick slices of the bread in the bottom of a deep plate or bowl. spoon the tomato “sauce” over and top with a sausage or two. let sit for a minute or so to allow the bread to absorb the juices.

the sausages & beans freeze beautifully. simply divide into freezer-safe containers and freeze. in the future when you’re in need of a quick dinner simply pull a few containers out of the freezer in the morning and allow to thaw in the fridge. that evening simply reheat and enjoy!