Winter Kielbasa Bake

This is our kind of a meal - easy to assemble and when it cooks, it makes the whole kitchen smell delicious. Buy some quality sauerkraut and kielbasa (I like kielbasa that emphasizes "beef" on the label) and you won't go wrong. Great for grim days in winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Kielbasa (Polish sausage)
• 10 small to medium red potatoes, halved and sliced lengthwise
• 6 carrots (or 1 lb of baby carrots)
• 1 lb sauerkraut
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. granulated brown sugar (if you use apple juice, skip for beer)
• 1 cup apple juice or 1 cup flat dark beer
• 1 tsp of caraway seeds (optional, but it really jumps up the flavor)

Steps:

1. Spray a large baking dish (I use a 4 quart Corning ware) with non-stick spray.
2. Drain the sauerkraut then spread across the bottom of the dish.
3. Slice the kielbasa into 2 inch chunks then halve lengthwise, making 2 inch long half cylinders. Arrange the kielbasa on the sauerkraut, skin side up.
4. Scrub those small potatoes (I love red potatoes here), halve them lengthwise too. Place them skin side up over the sauerkraut.
5. Slice the carrots; add them to the dish. I sometimes use the organic baby carrots here - one of those little bags works out well.
6. Thinly slice the onion and sprinkle over all.
7. Dissolve the sugar in the apple juice (or dark beer) and pour over the entire dish.
8. Cover tightly.
9. Bake in a 325°F oven for one hour until It's done when the potatoes and carrots are tender. Easily serves six hungry people.