Kielbasa

The roast is cooked along with beef short ribs, ham hocks and sausage for a hearty meal. Offer with polenta, mashed potatoes or the Roasted Root Vegetables with Green Onions . Begin the veal the day before cooking to allow the garlic-herb rub to flavor the meat.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In addition to the herb mayonnaise and blue cheese coleslaw, sliced tomatoes would be perfect alongside.

Classic choucroute garnie combines sauerkraut, potatoes, and a variety of meats. Here, chunks of smoked sausage are cooked with sauerkraut and flavored with caraway. On the side, have boiled red-skinned potatoes tossed with parsley and a spinach salad. End with purchased apple strudel.

To begin, offer a bowl of brine-cured green and black olives, another of marinated artichoke hearts, and some pâté and toast. The cassoulet needs only red wine and a loaf of good French bread as accompaniments. A pear or apple tart would add an appropriate French country flourish.

Complete the menu with a tomato and red onion salad, sourdough bread, and poached pears (or canned) with raspberry sauce.

You can grill any cooked sausage you like for this sandwich, but we recommend kielbasa or kosher salami (not dried beef). Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sauerkraut gets a smoky taste from bacon and sausage in a recipe from Orbit, a Polish restaurant in Chicago.

Duck, turkey or dark chicken meat can substitute for the goose with equally delicious results. Fine accompaniments are a green salad with Roquefort vinaigrette and hot crusty bread. For a quick and sophisticated dessert, add a bit of red wine and ground cinnamon to canned pears with their syrup.

Lots of fun: pizza with flavors reminiscent of the classic Reuben sandwich.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 12 hr (includes soaking beans)

This simple dinner of grilled sausage and cabbage gets added heft from small potatoes that go fork-tender in a foil packet in just under half an hour.

This meaty, cheesy one-skillet dinner boasts big beer hall energy.