Robin: My grandmother, Grace, was the only grandparent I ever knew. She was my maternal grandfather’s second wife and not a biological relative, but that didn’t make any difference to her or to me—she was my Grammy!
Looong before I came into the picture, Grammy’s dad, Grandpa Foley, worked at a factory in their small Indiana town, and her mom, Grandma Foley, was quite the socialite. She was on committees and in clubs, so she wasn’t always home when Grandpa would return from work in the afternoons. This posed a bit of a problem, for Grandpa would come home hungry—but unwilling or unable to prepare himself a bite to eat while he watched various televised professional and college sporting events.
Chaos was averted when Grandma got a slow cooker, for she could leave yummy stuff simmering that would be ready when her hubby was. One of the delights prepared in this way, consisting of smoked sausage cooked with vegetables, came to be known in our family as Grandpa Foley Special. Grammy taught the dish to my mom, who handed it down to my sister and me. Many other Midwesterners grew up on a similar dish. It’s plain and simple home cookin’, and it’s delicious.
Grammy and her parents are all now gone, but this dish rocks on. Through the years, the basic ingredients of Grandpa Foley Special have remained the same, even as some of the details of its preparation have evolved. We don’t usually make it in the crock pot anymore, and each one of the family members who prepares it has his or her own take. My dad tends to use more liquid than I do, and prefers fresh, whole baby potatoes. My sister takes care to cook it only enough so that the veggies are done, but still have texture. I have been known to omit the carrots, and I sometimes add a few fresh celery leaves to the mix.
Once, back when Grammy was still alive, I asked her if she thought Grandpa and Grandma Foley would be upset to learn that we were making changes to their food legacy. Her answer seems wise to me on more than one level; she responded, “I think they would just be glad that you are still making it.”
Grandpa Foley Special (Smoked Sausage Dinner)
A simple and delicious one-pot meal. This cooks up relatively quickly on the stove-top, or put the ingredients into a slow cooker and let it simmer for a few hours.
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) package smoked sausage, any kind
- ½ medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup water
- 3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks or use baby carrots
- 1 14.25-ounce can green beans, drained or undrained or use fresh green beans
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Cut the sausage into slices of about ½ inch thick. Place slices in a single layer into a sautee pan or large saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sausage to cook a little.
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When one side of the sausage slices has become browned, add the chopped onion. Use tongs to turn the sausage slices over so that they can get browned on the other side; meanwhile, the onion will get nicely sautéed in the fat rendered from the sausage itself.
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Once the sausage is browned to your liking—and before the onion turns dark brown—add the water, then the potato and carrot chunks. (Ideally, the potato pieces will be at least twice as large as the carrot chunks, since the hard carrot takes considerably longer to cook.) Make sure the pieces of carrot are nestled down into the water in the pan so that they will get cooked through. If using fresh green beans, add them at this time, as well. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let everything simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but not falling apart.
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Add the canned green beans (drained or not, depending on how much liquid you prefer in this dish), salt, and pepper, and heat through.
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Serve and enjoy your delicious Grandpa Foley Special smoked sausage dinner. Leftovers should be refrigerated; they are delicious reheated.
Additional Family Recipes
- Joy’s Dill Dip (from Robin’s mom)
- My Mom’s Pear Cake (Robin’s mom)
- Zucchini Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Coconut Spice Rice Pudding (Ed’s mom)
More of Our Comfort Foods
Other Delicious Stew-like Dishes
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