Yahoo Lifestyle My Husband Cracked the Code to the Best-Ever Super Bowl Snack
I don't mind a project recipe every now and then, but time after time, I'm reminded that the simplest recipes are the ones that really stand the test of time. Luckily for me, my husband, Matt, is the king of simple (and simply delicious) recipes.
Matt has a knack for editing down a recipe to its essence. He's the kind of cook who will decide that he wants to make something, take a look at a handful of recipes online or in cookbooks, and then take what he likes from each one and make it his own. This isn't the way my cooking brain works (I'm the recipe-following baker in the house), but I love watching Matt create these dishes and I'm lucky to be on the receiving end of some great food.
Some of his classic hits are his maple miso roasted carrots, his simply delicious chicken breasts, and his garlic mashed potatoes. And when we need a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer, I ask him to make his brown sugar and mustard glazed kielbasa. Whether it's a Super Bowl party or a dinner party with friends, this dish is always the first to go.
Related: The Chicago Way to Make Pigs in a Blanket 10x Better
😋😋 SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter 🍳🍔
What's So Great About Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Kielbasa?
In my opinion, pretty much any recipe that starts with kielbasa is going to be solid. The smoky, salty Polish sausage is a crowd-pleaser and you can find the horseshoe-shaped meat in pretty much any grocery store in America.
Matt slices and browns the sausage then tosses it with a mix of mustard and brown sugar, which creates a pretty much instant tangy-sweet glaze. Smoky, meat, tangy, sweet—four words that translate to appetizer perfection. You can serve the glazed sausage in a bowl or you can serve it straight from the skillet. Put out some toothpicks and you're done!
"It's sweet, a little tangy, salty, fatty. It's got everything," said Matt when I asked him why he thought the dish was so good. And I can confirm the accuracy of his statement.
The other great thing about this recipe is it's extremely easy. You really don't need a recipe to make it. No matter your skill level in the kitchen, you can pretty much make it on vibes (no really, you can).
Related: The Korean Way to Make Chicken Wings 10x Better
How to Make Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Kielbasa
For those of us who would like a little more direction than cooking by vibes (I see you), I did quiz Matt about his recipe. He told me it came from his mom, who would make this dish often for cookouts and parties. She's a vegetarian now but admits that she sometimes misses this dish. Yeah. It's that good.
To make it, slice one package of kielbasa (usually about 14 ounces) into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Add the sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium to medium-high heat until the sausage slices are slightly charred. Transfer the hot sausage to a bowl and add about 1/4 cup mustard (Matt uses yellow mustard, but you can use your favorite type) and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
When I asked Matt for the recipe he told me he doesn't measure but rather adds the ingredients until "it looks like the right amount of sauce." You should truly take that to heart. This is a recipe that's hard to mess up, so adjust it to fit your taste and trust the process.
For dishes like this, some people like to cook the mustard and brown sugar mixture in a skillet until it's saucy, but Matt's found that if mix the hot sausage with the mustard and brown sugar you can skip that step. "Brown sugar is really hygroscopic, so it absorbs any liquid and turns it into the sauce," he says. "It couldn't be easier."
And I would also add that it couldn't be any more delicious. Thanks, Matt!
Up Next:
