Have you ever read Rachael Ray Magazine. My grandmother gave me a subscription and I must admit, it usually ends up on the bottom of my tall stack of cooking magazines. But, I love that section in back where some celebrity opens up their refrigerator for her to analyze. Each time I wonder how staged it is and how many “Rachael Ray elves” had their hands in there cleaning it out , tidying up and perhaps even staging brand products.

I suppose I am drawn to that feature for the same reason I adore estate sales. I don’t go often any more because I inevitably find too many things I didn’t even know I needed. My house is full. But, the real draw for me is to see how someone else lived. I love to open the closets, look in the pantry, uncover an ancient tool bench in the basement and scan the bookshelves. There is so much to be gleaned about a person’s life from their home… and their refrigerator.

This really has almost nothing to do with recipe I am going to tell you about except that if you looked in my freezer or refrigerator at any given time, you are almost always likely to find some sort of chicken sausage. What does that say about me? I suppose that I always like a good back up plan.

If you have a few potatoes, an onion, some chicken sausage and a little improvisation, you have a quick and easy meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Chicken Sausage Hash
Start With:
olive oil
1 small onion
4 small or 2 very large potatoes
4 links of pre-cooked chicken sausage (I like the andouille or cilantro)

Optional add-ins:
green or red peppers
mushrooms
garlic
herbs and spices
hot sauce
fried egg for the top

 

Wash potatoes. Cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Boil water. Cook potato cubes until firm but a fork pushes through. Drain. Slice chicken sausage and veggies in small pieces and set aside. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a hot skillet. Add chopped onion and cook a few minutes. Add potatoes and other veggies. Turn it now and then so sides get crispy in the oil. Add the chicken sausage, any herbs or spices and cook until the sausage is warm. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and/or hot sauce. Serve with a fried egg on top if you like.

Combination in photo:
Andouille Chicken Sausage with red peppers, cajun seasoning and a splash of hot sauce.