Bratwurst Casserole

In need of some color on my plate and currently obsessed with using purple cabbage any way possible, I came up with this casserole of sliced bratwurst with a good mix of vegetables.   The kids loved this and kept calling the bratwurst a hot dog.  I'm fine with that, because I know what all went in to these "hot dogs."  They loved helping me make it too, with the youngest adding the cabbage and the oldest tearing the kale into pieces.  After a second and then a third helping, I figured I better take a picture before it's all gone.   I'm sure you can get creative with the seasoning of this dish, but I wanted to keep it simple and enjoy the natural flavors of the vegetables, for the most part. 

Bratwurst Casserole

1 lb. pastured pork bratwurst - slightly pan seared for slicing - Spring Hill Farm
1 bunch organic kale- removed from main stems and torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup chopped organic carrots
1/2 head thinly sliced organic purple cabbage
1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves organic garlic-minced
1/2 small organic yellow onion thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large rectangular glass casserole dish, add all vegetables.   In a small condiment bowl, mix olive oil with cider vinegar, then pour over vegetables.   Toss the vegetables until coated.   After a quick searing of the whole bratwursts in a large skillet, slice them into bite sized pieces (even smaller for really young children to prevent a choking hazard).  The searing cooks the outer edges of the meat making it more firm and easier to slice.  Toss the bratwurst pieces on the vegetables, evenly distributed, and cover with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes.  Don't overbake or kale will turn brown and cabbage will become mushy.  Enjoy!