Mash notes
Pair sausages with mashed potatoes for an easy dinner
The British call it “bangers and mash”: savory sausages served over mashed potatoes. We just call it a delicious weeknight meal (perfect for fall) and pull it together quickly through strategic use of both kitchen equipment and personnel (see “Efficiency rules” at right). The best thing, though, is that your whole family will like it; we tested the dish on several kids, and not a single nose turned up. They’ll like it even better if you tell them the funny name.
Timely moves get the main course of this menu on the table in about 30 minutes. First, heat the water for the mashed potatoes and turn on the oven for the sausages. Then slice and sauté the onions. While they cook, peel and cube the potatoes (take a few quick breaks to stir, and to add the beer to, the onions). Top onions with sausages and pop them into the oven, then drop the potatoes into the boiling water. Use the 10 minutes while the potatoes cook to core and stuff the apples; they bake at the same temperature as the sausages, so slide them into the oven as well. When the potatoes are drained and mashed, the sausages should be heated through. Chop a little parsley, sprinkle it on top, and serve up dinner. By the time you’re ready for dessert, the apples will be too.
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