Guest Post: Fresh Corn and Chicken Sausage Skillet

I'm delighted to have my first guest contributor, Megan of Wanna Be a Country Cleaver, while I'm away on vacation. Have you seen her blog? It's amazing; you must check it out. I don't remember how I discovered it, but I'm glad I did. She has the sweetest finace, cutest dog, and killer recipes. And she can make amazing cakes. I love her blog and she is the friendliest person. She graciously agreed to do this guest post for me while I'm away on vacation. When I saw this recipe for Fresh Corn and Chicken Sausage Skillet I wanted it, and I'm not even a big fan of sausage. But this, this I could handle. Her pictures of the food prep are as amazing as the picture of the finished dish; I wish I had the gumption to take prep pictures; I'm just too lazy to do it. I have one word for this recipe: Stunning. And now, here's Megan.....


Quite possibly the best thing about the blogging community is the warmth and friendliness that emanates from every direction. These inviting groups of people share their zest and passion for any topic that speaks to them – in our particular realm of the digital world, it’s food. When Amy approached me to write a guest post for her, I jumped at the chance (perhaps a little overenthusiastically) to introduce myself to her loyal fan-base and share my love of simple food, and a somewhat country-esque lifestyle while residing in what I call “the big bad city”.

Amy is a kindred spirit with a heart of gold and I am monumentally excited and honored at her guest post proposal. For this little share session, I wanted to bring my A-game with a quick and incredibly healthy (in my eyes, because there is No butter involved) dish that’s a one-skillet supper ready in under 25 minutes. Prepping to plate in under 25 – this is what week night meals were made of.

So, I hope that you enjoy this little dish and thank you so much for indulging me with your time.

Corn straight off the cob is one of the most luxurious experiences of summer. It screams afternoon barbecue surrounded by your closest friends and cheery children tuckering themselves out at the local swimming hole. Bursting those kernels full of sweet nectar between your teeth is what a picnic is all about. When it's so readily available you have to jump on it and gobble up all you can.



For this latest Fresh Food Challenge hosted by America's Test Kitchen the secret ingredient was - corn. Brilliant!

When I got to making this recipe I wanted to ensure that it maintained as fresh of an appearance and taste as possible. And it needed to be quick. After a long weekend or busy day at work, slaving over a hot stove isn't the first thing on your to-do list.

My one requirement - its prepping to plate in 25 minutes or less. And this one achieved all of those pesky parameters.



Fresh Corn and Chicken Sausage Skillet
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I started with two small zucchinis, lopping off the ends...


...slicing them lengthwise down the centers, and then turning them flat side down, slicing them lengthwise again.

After turning the quarters to a 90 degree angle, I diced them into about 1/2" cubes and set them aside in a small bowl.

When the fresh corn into the picture, I wanted a little variation and ended up using one yellow and one white ear. They each have their own character - delicious in their own right.


After shucking the ears, I placed them on their ends and took a knife to the kernels stripping them away from the husks. Right into the bowl they went with no chasing of the kernels all over the table. Who's got time for that?


These were set aside and lastly the chicken sausage was prepped. I opted for a roasted garlic chicken sausage since it was light and flavorful, making the executive decision that a beef kielbasa would be too heavy for such a veggie filled dish.

All four sausages were sliced on a diagonal angle to give them a pretty appearance.


What would a fresh veggie skillet be without a pint of fresh cherry tomatoes? Now, we're all ready to go!


Even though they were fully cooked, the sausages needed to be reheated and crisped up a bit.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, I placed them into the pan and they were sprayed with an ample amount of Pam cooking spray. Lighter then butter and less guilt.


I sautéed them for about 5 minutes until a beautiful brown crisp formed on the outside. When they reached this state, the sausages were set aside and kept warm in a bowl wrapped in foil.

In the already heated skillet, I poured in the cubed zucchini and corn spraying them again with Pam. After an additional 5 minutes of sautéing time, and constant stirring they were nicely browned and ready for the addition of a pint of fresh cherry tomatoes.


Since there was plenty of garlic in the sausages, I (amazingly) resisted the urge to add in more, opting instead for about 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper instead and 3 tablespoons of water.


The whole pan was covered and left to steam for another 7 minutes, just until the tomatoes begin to wrinkle or barely burst. When this happens you're ready to throw back in the cooked sausages, give it one last stir and plate!

How easy was this?

It's wonderfully refreshing and perfect for quick summer time nosh. You really can't lose.

Click here for Megan's original post
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