Monday

Chicken sausage with quick sauerkraut (recipe in the comments)
Spaetzles

Hot tea
English toffee
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As if we're recovering from yesterday's more involved dinner, this is a new recipe we're trying that looks very speedy. M and I both have a well documented love of sausage and our (if less well documented) love of sauerkraut is similar. In fact German inspired fare is a genre we'd like to explore more, but it rarely fits into "the 5". This recipe, however, seems to fit the bill. We bought some organic bell pepper and onion chicken sausage, which should pair well with the sauerkraut. Spaetzles are one of my favorite starches and if you don't add much butter (and certainly no gravy, which I don't like anyway), they're fine for you as well. Even though I might typically target this dinner for fall, it seems appropriate for a night when our lows will either be in the low 30s or low 20s, depending on who you believe. We were both totally impressed with this meal. I'm sure you'll be seeing it again in October or so. I think I'd add something green though next time for balance - salad?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, apple
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Sure, just cook the spaetzles last minute.

Reaction
J: "This dish is AMAZING!!"
M: "Fo Schnitzel!"

Wednesday

Spaetzles with ham and gruyere
Haricot verts, wax beans, and baby carrots

Peppermint bark
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M and I are both fools for German food. We love sausage, German potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, spicy mustard, and the like. Perhaps one of our favorites though is the humble spaetzle. This egg-y cross between a noodle and a tiny dumpling is something just this side of heaven. This casserole shows them off very well - perfect chewy texture with just a bit of ham and a light sauce accented with the wonderful aroma and taste of gruyere cheese (A personal favorite as well. No, it's not just more expensive Swiss!). Though this takes a while because you have to bake it, the prep is simple and you can get everything cleaned up and have a cocktail or a glass of wine while it finishes. What a relaxing way to spend the evening. Maybe I'll even get a few Christmas cards addressed. Probably not.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Ham, grate cheese
Time: 25 minutes to prep + 30 minutes to bake.
Make ahead: This is a great leftover.

Reaction
J: "A very spaetzle dinner!"
M: "If gruyere is wrong, I don't want to be right."