Jeannie's Mess

YUMMY MUMMY RECIPE
posted by guest blogger Jacqueline Schwenke
Door County, Wisconsin 4 kids (3 girls 1 boy)
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In 1982, we moved to the country. I had the pleasure and privilege to meet and become good friends with a lady named Jeannie, whose quick wit constantly kept me in stitches. One day we were visiting in her home, she telling me a story about how her youngest (2 yr old) daughter suddenly ran from the yard and rushed down toward the creek. She was talking her usual mile-a-minute and asked me to follow her to the kitchen- she didn't want to interrupt her own chatter, but needed to tend to something on the stove.

The minute I stepped into the kitchen I could see (and smell) the serious cooking going on. She had many prepared vegetables sitting on the counter, and something simmering in a skillet on the stove. She took the lid off and I could see the concoction was chopped green pepper and onion plus rope sausage that had been sliced into what she called 'pennies'. The aroma was heavenly! I stood and watched as she began to layer the prepared veggies into the pan, on top of the sausage mixture. When she was finished she set the lid on top and said, 'There!'. I looked at the lid, which was sitting on top of a mountain of veggies, about two inches higher than the top of the pan. I gave out a short laugh, and Jeannie being 'Jeannie' grinned at me showing the deep dimples in her cheeks, then flew off into an explanation about how as the veggies simmer they shrink, and the moisture from the veggies will keep the bottom of the pan moist so that the sausage mixture does not stick- and how the weight of the lid would help to compact the whole thing.

After further discussion she told me she came up with this recipe (which I found out later was a variation of another one floating around the USA at the time) because she always had 'a mess of veggies' from their large garden to use and she did not want them to spoil. So for her, the idea was to throw in anything from the garden- as long as it was a veggie. That day, she had put in a layer of potatoes, then yellow squash, white squash, zucchini, and more onion. Later that evening she brought some over for us to taste. She had added fresh tomatoes on top with a thin layer of melted cheese, so it was not only absolutely delicious but colorful as well. The recipe became a standard in our home, and affectionately known as "Jeannie's Mess".

Over the years I have had to adjust the recipe for different brands of sausage, types of potatoes, etc. My advice is to start with the veggies you and your family love the best. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out perfectly the first time you make it. I haven't met a kid yet who doesn't love this recipe and I think a lot of it has to do with being able to smell it while it's cooking. The heavenly aroma gets the taste buds dancing!

Ingredients
(I am not giving amounts here- make as little or much as you wish)

Good quality rope sausage, such as Hillshire Farm
At least 4 different vegetables (our favorite is: Onion, potato, yellow and green squash)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (not the fine shred)
Tomato (can be omitted)
Cooking Oil or Butter (which burns easily)

Directions

Chop onion (green pepper, hot peppers- anything in that 'family') to small pieces. Place in hot skillet to which enough butter or oil has been added so that the bottom is covered completely. Let simmer while you cut the sausage.

Cut rope sausage into 1/2 inch thick 'pennies', and add to skillet. Lower the heat to a slow simmer (low) and cover.

Starting with the potatoes, prepare remaining vegetables by washing and slicing into round pieces. You can use small chunks, but they do not layer as well. Stir skillet mixture often and lower heat if it seems to be cooking too quickly or the mixture begins to stick. You want to soften the onion and any peppers while giving the sausage a nice glaze.

After potatoes are sliced, add them to the skillet in layers and put the lid back on. (This is a good time to sprinkle in black pepper, a bit of garlic powder, or any other spice you'd like. I have used Morton Nature Seasoning as well.) Continue preparing the other vegetables. Each time you finish slicing one type of vegetable, add it to the pan, lid on. Don't be alarmed if your stack of veggies is not taller than the pan.

Working quickly to slice is a good idea, once the potatoes are in the pan. If your pan seems to be cooking dry, add a little beef broth- just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. If you are not an experienced cook, you can prepare the vegetables ahead of time.

After all layers are in the pan, put the lid on top and keep simmering on low, checking often to make sure it's not too dry. Do not stir or toss. At this point, when it's done is up to you. Some people like their veggies a little crisp, some like them cooked completely limp. When yours are done to your liking, remove the lid and simmer out any extra liquid at the bottom of the pan. Extra means you don't want soup. One way to do this is to increase the heat until the liquid is at a fast simmer. Add 1 TBL butter, (real butter), and it will help disperse the liquid. Don't panic if you have too much liquid, even after simmering. You can always use a slotted spoon to serve.

At this point you can throw some diced tomato on top, and add the cheese, allowing it to melt before you serve. You don't need any other vegetables with this meal- in fact we've never even served it with rolls, but I guess you could. My choice would be a whole grain roll.

P.S. The ending to that story about her daughter was that she went running after her, catching her by the seat of her overalls just before she stepped into the creek- and all that was to say how fast her daughter could run, plus explain why I had to go through a chain-linked fence before getting to the front door. :)