Yet another Rachael Ray recipe today. I have these two great cookbooks on my shelf and every now and then I like to dig them out and see what I can dish up. Since we’re trying to eat a little healthier in our house, I like to try and make adaptations to the recipes to make it a bit more waistline-friendly.

I grew up eating kielbasa all the time (I believe that kielbasa & sauerkraut was my favorite dish at the age of 5) and this was a great new dish for me to utilize it in. My mom & dad bought the kielbasa for us from the West Side Market while we were in Cleveland for Thanksgiving. It’s a leaner, smoked version that you can also eat without heating up. Yes, you read that right…and it tastes pretty good that way, too 😉

The link below will, believe it or not, take you to a review of the cookbook on the Weight Watchers website. Had I seen this article before I cooked this dish, I would have used their recommendations for making it healthier. Oh well – it was worth every. single. bite.

German Potato Salad with Kielbasa – adapted from Rachael Ray

• 2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, quartered
• 8 slices center-cut bacon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, quartered & sliced thin
• 1 large head kale
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 cup stock
• 1 lb lean kielbasa, cut into half moons
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (1/8 cup dry works too)
• black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F.
2. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil the potatoes until they are cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake until crisp (10-12 minutes). Cool, chop up, and save for the end of the dish.
4. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until tender.
5. Add the kale, a little at at time, until it is all wilted. Add the vinegar & stock, and turn off the heat.
6. In a small nonstick skillet, cook the kielbasa until it begins to brown.
7. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the kale/onion mixture and fold in. Add the bacon, parsley, pepper, and finally the kielbasa. Serve hot.

I admit that the picture does not do this dish justice.

This dish was great reheated the next night while waiting for my band to arrive for a basketball game. I also really liked how well the kale & potatoes joined – I tried a kale & potato dish over the summer that was an epic fail, so it felt almost like a successful do-over. While this ‘German potato salad’ isn’t too authentic, it’s still really delicious.

This recipe was a little more than 30 minutes, but during the time it look to boil potatoes and bake the bacon (seriously – I am going to do that technique again!), I was able to take a shower, having gone for a run at the gym after school. It was great to have a few moments to do something else while dinner was cooking.

If you are a fan of kielbasa, I really suggest that you try this dish.