A Dinner Hero

Tonight the hubby cooked and cleaned up to boot! I was attached to the computer by the fingertips, so he took it upon himself to rustle up some dinner, which meant something German (read meat and potatoes here). His choice - a delicious combination of German-style Mashed Potatoes (from Best of Taste of Home) and bratwurst. The three of us chowed this down like we were Survivor players who'd been eating bugs and leaves for months.

The potato dish was the highlight of the meal. Jeff peeled, cubed, and boiled some red potatoes. About halfway through cooking, he put in a couple of cubed Granny Smith apples. When the boiling was done, the recipe called for some cider vinegar, sugar, and salt, but he felt the potatoes were too dry and put in some milk for creaminess. In addition, he mashed them thoroughly even the instructions called for chunkier spuds. Meanwhile, he cooked a few pieces of bacon and used the drippings to caramelize a chopped red onion. When all was cooked, he crumbled the bacon into the potatoes and stirred in the onions as well. (The picture went for a presentation of the potatoes, onions, and bacon layered prettily in a casserole dish. This is great for company, but we're more interested in mixing all the flavors together - the easier to devour you with, my dear.) We were in love with these spuds at first bite. The only thing that could have made them better is black pepper and perhaps some garlic in with the onions. Heavenly bites of creamy mashed potatoes were filled with golden chunks of onion and bits of crispy bacon. I could live on this stuff!

Lest I forget these babies were a side dish, the (Johnsonville) brats (which we bought on sale) were good, too. Jeff cooked them in a skillet with enough water to keep them from sticking. They steamed under the lid before he removed the cover to evaporate the liquid and brown the sausages. Originally, I was going to make the potatoes while Jeff grilled the bratwurst, but this worked out well too. They were plump and juicy, slightly spicy and tender. They did not have that lumpy, mealy texture that sausage sometimes does. (This is my first venture into brats in at least a decade, so I was pleasantly surprised and would buy these again.)

Ultimately, my husband stepped in to be a dinner hero tonight, feeding the family with warm, comforting, hearty fare. It is this kind of teamwork that keeps our family running well. I enjoyed the night off from the kitchen and wonder if I shouldn't get "stuck" in my office more often.