Bangers and Mash - RECIPE

I have to admit, St. Patrick's Day snuck up on me this year. General busyness and a random cold bug left me unaware of how quickly the Irish holiday was racing down upon me. I didn't even realize that it was this Thursday until this Monday! I tossed the idea of cornedbeef and cabbage at The Boss, but I made that last year and the particular cut I had picked up then seemed extra fatty. So having to think fast, I quickly offered up a more general traditional British Isle staple  - Bangers and Mash.

In some of the few authentically Irish restaurants in the area, this entree is on the menu, so I felt safe making it up as a St. Patrick's Day meal, and I had a general idea how to make it. So after a brief search of different recipes and variations, I found one that seemed like a nice, easy template to work from. The great thing about this version is that if you can't find authentic English sausages at your local supermarket, you can substitute basic bratwurst or even breakfast sausage.

INGREDIENTS:
sausages
potatoes (mashed)
onions (minced)
onion gravy
garlic (minced or powder)

scallops

DIRECTIONS:
 - Prepare the potatoes (either mash real potatoes or go with instant, whatever you have time for) and toss in the chopped onions and scallops.
 - Pour just enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan, sprinkle crushed garlic (or garlic powder) in the oil. Place the sausages in the pan and cook until both sides are a good color if you are using precooked sausages such as brats or breakfast sausage. If using non-precooked sausages, follow those cooking instructions.
 - Make the onion gravy (because I'm terrible at gravy, I have no shame in admitting I use packaged gravy mixes.) 
 - Once everything is done, plate it, and enjoy (with a few pints of Guinness, of course).

(Business Side Note: Guinness had one of my favorite ad slogans in answer to all the other beer distributors promoting ultra-lite beers. "Guinness: Only 125 calories; not on purpose")

CALORIES:
One serving which includes two sausages and does not include the beverage is 650 total calories(205 calories from fat, 14g of protein, and 21g carbohydrates).
 
A delicious filling dinner, good drink, and some traditional Irish drinking songs made this year's St. Patrick's Day a safe and fun holiday without the bother of leaving home. The great thing is that this is truly an entree that can be enjoyed any day of the year.

Until Next Time...
Forget your troubles with these videos of my two favorite Irish drinking songs.  Johnnie Jump Up, a song about a kick-ass beer/whiskey blend, performed by Gaelic Storm; and The Dubliners' version of Black Velvet Band about a man duped by a trickster woman.

Bangerly Yours,
Michael