Grilled Sausage W/Apple-Cabbage Saute

Just a quick post to share one of our favorite autumnal dinners!  Believe me when I say that this recipe is a winner.  I mean, you should always believe me (I am very trustworthy) but for SERIOUS, you should believe me now.

It is fast to throw together, full of flavor, and inexpensive to make; three points that make this a great fall dish and perfect for this time of year.  As our days get busier as we get closer to the holidays, I love being able to make this in a matter of minutes.  This meal is one of those things that I just kind of make without a lot of thought and that means that it is virtually fool proof.  Handy when I am in and out of the house between ballet, church, playdates, meetings, book club, and appointments.  You can practically just throw it in the pan.  Like, take a pan, and throw it in.  Throw it.

These flavors are a natural fit for my family, seeing as how we have quite a streak of German blood.  It is very much inspired by dishes of my youth.  Cabbage and sausage is rather prevalent in Minnesota cuisine and this reminds my husband and I of home.  A little warm, Northern comfort food here in South Carolina!

Grilled Sausage W/Apple-Cabbage Saute
This is great served with extra applesauce on the side and a huge hunk of whole grain bread with salty butter.

1 whole beef sausage, such as Hillshire Farms

1 onion, sliced
4 T butter
salt and pepper
1/2 c applesauce, preferably chunky
2 T brown sugar
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 c apple cider or juice
1 small green cabbage, outer leaves removed and sliced to shreds, or one large bag pre-shredded cabbage

Grill the sausage over medium high heat until it has nice color.  Alternatively, sear it in a tiny bit of oil in a cast-iron pan.
While the sausage is grilling, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan and toss the onions in.  Season with salt and pepper.  When onions are soft, add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine and keep the heat good and hot to wilt the cabbage and thicken the liquid a bit.  When the cabbage is just wilted but still has some crunch to it, remove the pan from the heat and taste for seasoning.  Serve with the grilled sausage.