[sweet sausages braised in onions]

serves 2
adapted from Rachael Ray, who can't get cooking times right to save her life...

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive olil
4 links (about 1 pound) sweet italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (don't use dried!)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse black pepper
coarse salt
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp honey

Sausages:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the Olive Oil. Add the sausage links and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove the sausages from the skillet and reserve.
Onions:

(trust me, these are good - Ben swears he HATES onions, but these become sweet and delicious... he had seconds... and thirds)

Add the onions to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. (Depending on pan, 5-15 minutes). Add the thyme and garlic until garlic becomes fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, chicken stock and honey. Bring the liquid to a simmer,

Then add the browned sausages back to the pan...
and braise the sausages until they are cooked through and the sauce has reduced by half. (About 10-20 minutes, cut the sausages in half to check - ours took closer to 20 minutes or more).
Serve sausages with onion and braising liquid.

Serve with Horseradish Smashed Potatoes