low-cal feeds a crowd

potluck choucroute garni

►make ahead up to 24 hours

Prep: 45 minutes Chill: up to 24 hours Stand: 10 minutes Bake: 1 hour 5 minutes at 350°F Makes: 12 servings

• 1½ cups apple juice, apple cider, or chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons coarse-grain brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 medium red onion, cut into very thin wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 12-ounce bottle ale or beer
• 12 ounces fingerling potatoes or tiny new potatoes, quartered
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 7.5-ounce packages cooked, smoked boneless pork chops, cut into bite-size pieces, or two 6-ounce packages Canadian-style bacon, cut into chunks
• 1 pound cooked, smoked kielbasa, halved lengthwise and bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Jonagold, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 14-ounce can sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
• Coarse-grain brown mustard (optional)

1. For the sauce, in a medium bowl stir together apple juice, cornstarch, the 3 tablespoons mustard, caraway seeds, rosemary, and pepper; set aside. In a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in ale and apple juice mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook potatoes and carrots, covered, in a large amount of lightly salted boiling water about 10 minutes or until slightly tender but still firm. Drain; set aside.

3. In a 3-quart rectangular baking dish layer pork chops, kielbasa, potatoes and carrots, apples, and sauerkraut. Spoon sauce over sauerkraut. Cover tightly with foil. (To serve today, continue as directed in Step 5, except bake, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until potatoes are tender and center is hot.)

4. To refrigerate to serve later, cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. If chilled, remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 65 to 70 minutes or until potatoes are tender and center is hot. If desired, serve with additional coarse-grain mustard.

Per serving: 289 cal., 15 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 49 mg chol., 654 mg sodium, 23 g carb., 3 g fiber, 14 g pro.