Sunday, December 23, 2018

Bratwurst Sheet Pan Dinner inspired by The Tatooist of Auschwitz

This one pan dinner is delicious, homey and comforting.  Plump Bratwurst, creamy potatoes, sweet carrots and savory Brussels sprouts are tossed in olive oil and spices before being roasted to perfection.


I was inspired to make this dinner after listening to the novel based on a true story, The Tatooist of Auschwitz......



Image result for the tattooist of auschwitz

I didn't realize that this was a true story until the end of the novel when I continued to listen to the Author's notes and the afterward by the son of the couple on whom the novel was based.  In fact, those authors notes and the afterward were just as enjoyable as the entire novel itself.  And this novel is going down as one of my favorite reads of 2018.

It is a love story set in a horrific venue.  It is the story of hope and perseverance.  You can't help but fall in love with Lolly and Gita yourself.  You cry with them, you laugh with them, you pray for them and you cheer them on.  As always, when reading about the atrocities that happened during the reign of Hitler, it is highly disturbing, heart wrenching and heart breaking.  Especially when you look at our current society and realize that we have learned nothing from that devastating time.  We still embrace racism, bias and prejudice.  We still hate others based on nothing more than the color of their skin, their religion or their birthplace.  We still believe that white anglo saxon Americans are the superior race.  It saddens me and it scares me, more than just a little.

But, as Lolly and Gita show in this story, you cannot give in to despair or hopelessness.  You must always keep on keeping on.  So that is what I will do and I thank the author and Lolly for sharing this story with us and I thank their son for sharing his memories of his parents and childhood at the end of the novel.


There was not a lot of food mentioned in the novel, however, food or the lack of it played a central role.  Lolly was able to obtain sausages, chocolates, extra rations of bread that he used to provide for those prisoners less fortunate than he.  

This hunger in their early years was constantly being quenched in their later years and their son tells of how his mother would cook constantly and the refrigerator was always crammed full. She loved feeding his friends and would be very disappointed when they did not take seconds and thirds.  Their son listed a litany of dishes that his mother prepared but it was the sausages stolen by Lolly that remained in my mind and that inspired this easy dinner


I cooked this up last night to enjoy with John and Kirsten.  They and Frank sang at 4 pm Mass yesterday.  I am singing and attending Mass today so I stayed home and made dinner.  I wanted something easy because it has been so busy around here.  


It doesn't get much easier than throwing everything onto a sheet pan, sticking it in the oven and curling up with a book while it bakes.

I am sharing this recipe over at Foodies Read stop by and see what the others are reading and the recipes their reads inspire.


#sausage, #bratwurst, #onepotmeals, #quick, #easy
Entrees, Sausage
German Fusion
Yield: 6 servingsPin it

Bratwurst Sheet Pan Dinner

prep time: 10 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 10 mins
This one pan dinner is delicious, homey and comforting. Plump Bratwurst, creamy potatoes, sweet carrots and savory Brussels sprouts are tossed in olive oil and spices before being roasted to perfection.

ingredients:

2-3 lbs Bratwurst Link Sausage
1 pkg.  Baby Carrots
15-18 Brussels Sprouts, halved
15-18 Baby Potatoes, larger ones halved 
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. caraway seed, crushed

instructions:

Place the sausage in a skillet, cover with water and parboil for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from water to baking sheet that has been lined with parchment or a silicone mat.  With a fork, pierce each sausage link.

Place the carrots, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and caraway seed.  Toss to coat and then add the vegetables to the sheet pan with the sausage in a single layer. 

Bake in a preheated 400* oven for about 50 minutes, until sausage is browned and veggies are tender.
Created using The Recipes Generator





8 comments:

  1. Your recipe does sound easy and delicious. I love using silicone mats for roasting vegetables or cooking meat (like meatballs) in the oven. Makes the clean-up easy too.

    Have a great Christmas.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy New Year Wendy! I do love brats and have found some good ones here, so will be making this, as sheet pans suppers are another favorite of mine. That book sounds terrific too.

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  3. This book is on my 2019 to read list, Wendy. Your dish looks delicious. I truly hope your holiday was merry and bright!

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    Replies
    1. It was Debra. I hope yours was as well. This book was really a good read.

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  4. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't clue into the "based on a true story" part. Thanks for picking this, Wendy. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete

I enjoy getting comments and feedback from my audience. Please let me know what you think, keeping in mind that we are all entitled to our own beliefs and opinions. I am happy to hear yours as long as they are stated nicely.