Sausage and potato chowder; fills about 8 bowls

Ingredients

10 medium sized red potatoes 3 cups water 2 tablespoons rosemary

1 large yellow onion 2 lbs spicy Italian sausage, bulk 1 clove garlic

1 can evaporated milk 1 bayleaf

Directions

1. Cube the potatoes into water in a large soup pot; add rosemary; boil until only a small amount of crisp remains in the potatoes. Reduce to low heat afterwards.

2. While potatoes boil, brown the sausage in a skillet. Crush garlic into the sausage while browning. If using bulk sausage, ensure that it breaks up and cooks evenly. If sausage comes in casing, slice or use kitchen shears to uniform size.

3. Add cooked sausage and garlic to pot with potatoes. Add evaporated milk. Add bayleaf. Stir to mix.

4. Slice onion and cook in skillet until slightly translucent with leftover sausage oil (alternatively, can cook onions with veg oil or alternative). Add to pot. Stir to mix. Keep on low heat for at least an hour. Salt to taste.

The end result is a chowder with a little bit of background heat from the sausage spices, sweet onion taste, and a heavy herbal rosemary kick. It keeps for days as reliable leftovers and reheats in the microwave like a champ.

I was thinking of adding something else to provide flavor beyond the rosemary, onion and salt, but still have the palate be strongly in the savory/spicy/herbal range.

Any thoughts?

bon appetit