Potato, Brussels Sprouts and Sausage Au-Gratin Casserole

My inspiration for this dish came from a NY Times recipe that my husband sent me one night. It was a recipe for brussels sprouts casserole, but knowing that neither my hubby nor my kiddo are super huge fan of brussels sprouts alone, I decided to mix it up a little. They both adore cheesy au-gratin potatoes, so I knew immediately that I should somehow add potatoes to the recipe, and before I knew it, I had changed the recipe so much, that I basically scrapped the original recipe entirely, and this recipe can only be considered my own. Wanting a main course vs. a side dish, I decided to add some meat to the recipe as well, and in the theme of Fall, I decided that Chicken Apple Sausage would be my go-to in this dish, but you can use any type of sausage that your family prefers. While this was a great weeknight meal, I plan to make this for Thanksgiving next year as a side dish. Yeah! It was THAT good!

POTATO, BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND SAUSAGE AU-GRATIN CASSEROLE

Course: Main or Side Dish Total Time: 60 minutes Serving Size: 2 - 4

INGREDIENTS:

Russet (1 small per person) or Yukon Gold (1 large per person) Potatoes

Sausage (1 sausage per person)*

2 c. or 16 oz. of shredded cheese**

10 - 20 oz. of shredded or shaved brussels sprouts***

12 oz. Heavy Cream

Hefty pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Crispy French Fried Onions or Plain Potato Chips****

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos

1 - 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Thinly slice potatoes into 3/16" (approx.) disks and lightly blanch in boiling, salted water until about half-tender.

3. Thinly slice (on a bias) your sausage and saute in a skillet until caramelized.

4. Mix balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce together in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Add heavy cream and red pepper flakes to small pot and warm on low until ready to assemble the "casserole."

6. In a large skillet, on high heat, add olive oil and shredded brussels sprouts. Cook until crispy and browned, but not totally softened. Remove from heat and toss with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce mixture. Set aside.

7. In a 9" x 13" glass baking dish***** layer potatoes, brussels sprouts, sausage, cheese and heavy cream until you've used all of the ingredients.

8. Top with remaining cheese and either french fried onions or potato chips.

9. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

10. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes until top cheese and topping is golden brown and bubbly.

NOTES:

* I used chicken apple sausage in this recipe because I felt it paired best with the maple syrup and the balsamic vinegar mix, but feel free to use any variety of sausage that your family prefers.

** I used a equal blend of white cheddar and gruyere cheese, but feel free to use any variety of cheese that you prefer--just make sure that it is a good melting cheese.

*** If making this dish for 2 people (or 2 servings) use 10 oz. of brussels sprouts. If making this dish for 4 people, double the amount of brussels sprouts that you use.

**** Given that this was a new recipe and we weren't sure which "topping" would be better suited to the dish, we topped half the casserole with the potato chips and the other half with the french fried onions. My husband was Team Potato Chip all the way, while I preferred the dish with the onions.

***** I used a 9" glass pie baking dish, but in retrospect, I recommend using a larger, more rectangular dish such as a 9" x 13" because it will cook quicker and more evenly as there are less layers--mine in the pie baking dish took almost an an hour and fifteen to get to the desired doneness.