What side dish should I serve with spicy sausage?
August 8, 2013 11:07 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for a side to go with spicy sausages. My imagined dish must be relatively inexpensive (I am a bit short at the moment) and easy to prepare (cooking is not my strong suit). Should serve two (leftovers are fine), and contain no fruit or fish. What's the first thing that pops into your head?
With sausage, I like to chop up root vegetables and bake them. Potatoes and sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, whatever else you want. Chop, add some herbs and oil, bake. (You can also cook them on the stovetop in a covered pan if you want.) Easy!
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Chard sautéed in the sausage grease. And polenta.
posted by mollymayhem at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by mollymayhem at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [9 favorites]
Grilled peppers and onions?
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Rice topped with sautéed bell peppers and onions. Or just the peppers and onions without rice.
Cabbage.
posted by k8lin at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Cabbage.
posted by k8lin at 11:09 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Lentils, especially with a mustard/sherry vinegar dressing (some sour to cut through the heat).
posted by iminurmefi at 11:10 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by iminurmefi at 11:10 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Spinach or other greens in olive oil with lemon and salt.
Cannelini beans in red sauce.
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:10 AM on August 8, 2013
Cannelini beans in red sauce.
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:10 AM on August 8, 2013
Thinly chopped potatoes lightly fried with garlic in butter or olive oil.
posted by griphus at 11:11 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by griphus at 11:11 AM on August 8, 2013
A raw cucumber salad with onions, and maybe green peppers and possibly tomato in a light vinaigrette. If the sausages are spicy, something cool will be a pleasant contrast. All this will require is chopping some vegetables.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:12 AM on August 8, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:12 AM on August 8, 2013 [4 favorites]
Broccoli raab is my first though - sauteed with olive oil and garlic, but mashed potatoes is a great suggestion and super cheap.
posted by hungrybruno at 11:13 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by hungrybruno at 11:13 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Throw in some roasted beets to whatever else ya got going on from the above suggestions!
posted by matty at 11:17 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by matty at 11:17 AM on August 8, 2013
Sweet coleslaw. Make it from scratch, starting with a basic receipt like this and maybe dress it up a bit with some red cabbage and chopped peppers added, or start with a bag of chopped coleslaw mix and add your own dressing, or buy it ready made in the deli section of better markets.
posted by paulsc at 11:19 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by paulsc at 11:19 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also... ironically a friend of mine JUST posted this in her facebook feed: Ginger Beet Kraut.
I think that'd pair well with the sausage!
posted by matty at 11:19 AM on August 8, 2013
I think that'd pair well with the sausage!
posted by matty at 11:19 AM on August 8, 2013
A creamy potato salad. Or cold pasta salad with black olives.
And carmelized onions and bell peppers to go with the sausage.
posted by catatethebird at 11:24 AM on August 8, 2013
And carmelized onions and bell peppers to go with the sausage.
posted by catatethebird at 11:24 AM on August 8, 2013
Sautéed kale with lots of garlic and caramelized onions.
posted by joan_holloway at 11:26 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 11:26 AM on August 8, 2013 [3 favorites]
Sauerkraut!
posted by meijusa at 11:30 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by meijusa at 11:30 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Couscous. Chop up some tomatoes and throw them in at the end for some added flavor, texture, color.
posted by juliplease at 11:33 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by juliplease at 11:33 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Apricots
posted by oceanjesse at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2013
This takes some time, but is so worth it:
Onions (1), green pepper (1ish) and celery (3-4 stalks). Chop into small pieces, put into a frypan with ~1 Tblsp (30 mL) of cooking oil. Cook on very low until everything is soft and beginning to brown.
Chop sausages into thumb-sized chunks. Add to veg. Continue to cook on low until sausage browns on the outside.
Add ~1/2 cup/125 mL of liquid. This can be chicken stock or white wine, but water is good too. Add ~1 Tblsp (30mL) of flour and stir in. Reduce the liquid on low, until it forms a nice gravy on the sausage and veg.
When you add the liquid, put some rice on to cook (1 c/250 mL rice, a little less than double that water, bring to boil, turn off heat, cover, let rest for ~12 minutes). Egg noodles could be nice too.
Serve with a piquant sauce for extra flavour. We like Cajun Power.
posted by bonehead at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2013
Onions (1), green pepper (1ish) and celery (3-4 stalks). Chop into small pieces, put into a frypan with ~1 Tblsp (30 mL) of cooking oil. Cook on very low until everything is soft and beginning to brown.
Chop sausages into thumb-sized chunks. Add to veg. Continue to cook on low until sausage browns on the outside.
Add ~1/2 cup/125 mL of liquid. This can be chicken stock or white wine, but water is good too. Add ~1 Tblsp (30mL) of flour and stir in. Reduce the liquid on low, until it forms a nice gravy on the sausage and veg.
When you add the liquid, put some rice on to cook (1 c/250 mL rice, a little less than double that water, bring to boil, turn off heat, cover, let rest for ~12 minutes). Egg noodles could be nice too.
Serve with a piquant sauce for extra flavour. We like Cajun Power.
posted by bonehead at 11:41 AM on August 8, 2013
(Sorry, apricots are totally a fruit. But it was the first thing that popped into my hungry mind)
posted by oceanjesse at 11:42 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 11:42 AM on August 8, 2013
Greens sauteed in garlic.
posted by michellenoel at 11:45 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by michellenoel at 11:45 AM on August 8, 2013
Butter beans, for the (sorta) cassoulet experience.
(incidentally, chopped turkey kolbassa + butter beans = best thing ever in a slow cooker. Just sayin'.)
posted by scruss at 11:52 AM on August 8, 2013
(incidentally, chopped turkey kolbassa + butter beans = best thing ever in a slow cooker. Just sayin'.)
posted by scruss at 11:52 AM on August 8, 2013
Polenta fried in the sausage drippings.
posted by ian1977 at 11:57 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by ian1977 at 11:57 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
cous cous with toasted almonds and wilted spinach.
posted by jessamyn at 11:58 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 11:58 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Polenta.
Not the stuff from a sausage-like tube, though. That's gross. Just buy cornmeal (don't use ancient stuff that's been sitting around your kitchen since the Reagan administration; save that for dusting the bottom of pizzas). Use a recipe like this, although the butter is optional, and finish by dumping it out onto a wood cutting board to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then you can serve it with the sausage and some sauce of your choice.
Just don't skimp on the salt and stir it frequently to keep it from burning or becoming lumpy.
The wood cutting board is surprisingly key; if you put it into a glass pan as many recipes recommend the bottom will be soggy and have the wrong consistency due to the condensation. The wood cutting board absorbs the excess moisture and keeps it uniform. Use some bricks wrapped in waxed paper or bread pans turned upside-down to contain it, if you don't have a cutting board big enough to hold it, or if you want it thicker.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:59 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not the stuff from a sausage-like tube, though. That's gross. Just buy cornmeal (don't use ancient stuff that's been sitting around your kitchen since the Reagan administration; save that for dusting the bottom of pizzas). Use a recipe like this, although the butter is optional, and finish by dumping it out onto a wood cutting board to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then you can serve it with the sausage and some sauce of your choice.
Just don't skimp on the salt and stir it frequently to keep it from burning or becoming lumpy.
The wood cutting board is surprisingly key; if you put it into a glass pan as many recipes recommend the bottom will be soggy and have the wrong consistency due to the condensation. The wood cutting board absorbs the excess moisture and keeps it uniform. Use some bricks wrapped in waxed paper or bread pans turned upside-down to contain it, if you don't have a cutting board big enough to hold it, or if you want it thicker.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:59 AM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Buttery Rice!
Rice is cheap and super-easy to prepare. I love it with butter, om, nom, nom.
If it's an Italian sausage, buttered pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesian cheese.
A nice green salad and you're done.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:03 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Rice is cheap and super-easy to prepare. I love it with butter, om, nom, nom.
If it's an Italian sausage, buttered pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesian cheese.
A nice green salad and you're done.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:03 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Baked beans. The sweetness is a nice foil to spiciness.
posted by bearwife at 12:08 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by bearwife at 12:08 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Depends on the type of spicy sausage. If Italian, mushroom risotto or polenta. If andouille or Portuguese chourico, sauteed greens. If German, sauteed spiced apples and onion, and egg noodles. If American BBQ style, Indiana succotash or 3 bean salad.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:23 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:23 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seconding polenta as it was exactly the first thing I though. Add some kind of cheese to it (ricotta, marscapone, fontina, parmesan, your choice), and top with some super basic garlicky tomato sauce.
Unlike Kadin2048, though, I like mine just spooned from the pot and gooey and wet and hot, so YMMV.
posted by General Malaise at 12:24 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Unlike Kadin2048, though, I like mine just spooned from the pot and gooey and wet and hot, so YMMV.
posted by General Malaise at 12:24 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
I would probably do rice and a poached egg with a small salad on the side.
posted by brilliantine at 12:26 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by brilliantine at 12:26 PM on August 8, 2013
Mashed potatoes with sauteed mushrooms and onions. If you like mush/onions, that is. Cheap, quick, and easy!
posted by Tevin at 12:40 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by Tevin at 12:40 PM on August 8, 2013
Fondue!
posted by haplesschild at 12:51 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by haplesschild at 12:51 PM on August 8, 2013
We like to eat spicy sausage with mac n' cheese.
posted by disaster77 at 1:17 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by disaster77 at 1:17 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Roast vegetable and chickpea stew. I only ever loosely follow this recipe, using whatever roastable veg I have and it's always good.
posted by lizabeth at 1:36 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by lizabeth at 1:36 PM on August 8, 2013
Summer vegetable ragout. Tomato, sweet peppers, eggplant, summer squash, onion. However many or few of those you wish, sauteed in olive oil, seasoned with fresh basil, and finished with a touch of balsamic vinegar (a touch, don't be gross). Also goes great on the grill. My wife and I had this as a side one night, then tossed it in pasta for leftovers. Seasonal (hence, cheap), quick, and tasty.
posted by Gilbert at 2:33 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by Gilbert at 2:33 PM on August 8, 2013
Rice was the first thing that popped in my head. It'd make a nice compliment to the heat of the sausages.
(...and was also going to suggest going with baked beans...but on preview bearwife beat to it...)
posted by MeatheadBrokeMyChair at 3:46 PM on August 8, 2013
(...and was also going to suggest going with baked beans...but on preview bearwife beat to it...)
posted by MeatheadBrokeMyChair at 3:46 PM on August 8, 2013
If inexpensive and easy is the requirement, why not sweet potato fries? All you need to do is buy 2 sweet potatoes at most, cut them into fries, toss them in some oil, place them on a baking sheet, salt and bake. Plus, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes might pair well with the spicy sausage.
But I would try to include some peppers and onions with the sausage, which you can saute on a pan in a little oil very easily. One pepper and one onion would be enough.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:34 PM on August 8, 2013
But I would try to include some peppers and onions with the sausage, which you can saute on a pan in a little oil very easily. One pepper and one onion would be enough.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:34 PM on August 8, 2013
Mashed sweet potatoes!
Microwave or steam peeled sweet potatoes until super tender, then use a whisk or hand held beaters or your stand mixer to whisk them with butter, some milk or cream, salt and pepper (be generous), even some minced garlic.
Soooooo good with sausages, healthy, and so creamy and satisfying.
posted by shazzam! at 7:09 PM on August 9, 2013
Microwave or steam peeled sweet potatoes until super tender, then use a whisk or hand held beaters or your stand mixer to whisk them with butter, some milk or cream, salt and pepper (be generous), even some minced garlic.
Soooooo good with sausages, healthy, and so creamy and satisfying.
posted by shazzam! at 7:09 PM on August 9, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sindas at 11:08 AM on August 8, 2013 [8 favorites]