[1] How to make a better Reuben sandwich: use the best sauerkraut and a great recipe like this one (photo © Marion’s Kitchen).

[2] Sauerkraut with beef, burgers, hot dogs, salmon, and sandwiches (photos #1 to #4 © Cleveland Kraut).

[3] Beet Red Cleveland Kraut, made with red cabbage, beets, and cabbage. Try it with hot dogs, meat dishes, and salads paired with goat cheese.

[4] Green cabbage, green bell peppers, jalapeños, leeks, red chiles, sriracha, and seasonings make Gnar Gnar a match with egg dishes, rice, salads, and tacos.

[5] This “spirited” kraut combines fresh garlic and dill with barrel-aged whiskey, which adds a subtle sweetness to each batch. Pair it with chicken, salads, and sandwiches.

[6] Did you say sauerkraut cake? “People might need some coaxing to try it,” said someone who made the recipe, “but once they do, they will love it.” Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).

Sauerkraut is one of our colleague Laura’s favorite foods. Her family has made it for generations and love it so much, they eat it from the jar.

We created a sauerkraut dinner menu for her—6 courses selected from these 40 sauerkraut recipes—using our Top Pick Of The Week:

Cleveland Kraut sauerkraut, a terrific line of flavored krauts: raw, unpasteurized and lacto-fermented.

By the way, the third week in October is National Kraut Sandwich Week. So put some kraut on your sandwich. It doesn’t have to be a Reuben.

Think burgers, ham sandwiches, hot dogs (yes, they’re a sandwich), sausage heroes, and the others we’ve suggested below.
 
 
CLEVELAND KRAUT FLAVORS

If you like plain sauerkraut—which is all that most of us have had—you’ll likely be thrilled with Cleveland Kraut’s flavored krauts. All start with green cabbage (except for Beet Red, which uses red cabbage), then deftly add seasonings.

Flavors—each deliciously flavorful and crunchy—include:

 
 
WHY SAUERKRAUT IS GOOD FOR YOU

Sauerkraut is one of a group of fermented foods that is full of natural probiotics, nutrients, and flavor*.

Here’s a review of the nutrition and health benefits.

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir offer many health benefits. They restore gut health, support our immune system and help us to better absorb nutrients.

Whether it’s sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi in Asia (especially Korea), cortido (or curtido) in Central America, or choucroute in France, fermented cabbage is consumed wherever cabbage is grown.

All you need to ferment it is salt. At the correct level of salinity and at the proper temperature, cabbage will ferment into sauerkraut.

The addition of vinegar is looked upon with contempt by makers of “true” sauerkraut, who declare that it’s used only by those who don’t take the time to go through a full fermentation process and want a cheap and quick way to achieve acidity.

Several different bacteria are at work during this process. The most often cited probiotic bacterium associated with sauerkraut is Lactobacillus plantarum.

With supermarket sauerkraut, note: Many commercial fermented cabbage products have been pasteurized. The heat destroys the friendly bacteria as well as the harmful ones. For probiotic benefits, seek out raw/unpasteurized kraut.

Another benefit: Unlike pasteurized kraut, raw kraut is crunchy.

If you want to make your own sauerkraut, here’s how.

Whether you buy it or make it, save the liquid—it’s a great tenderizer in a marinade, and good in a vinaigrette.
 
 
WAYS TO USE SAUERKRAUT

Whether you make it or buy it, use it beyond hot dogs with:

 
 
WHERE TO BUY CLEVELAND KRAUT

Ready to dig in?

Shop online at ClevelandKraut.com, or if you’re in the Cleveland area, check out the store locator.

*Here’s more on yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, brined olives and other foods that are probiotic.

†The company named this spicy flavor Gnar Gnar for gnarly, a word the Urban Dictionary defines as “beyond radical, beyond extreme.” Cleveland Kraut calls it Cleveland’s answer to kimchi.

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Fall reminds us of polenta, a comfort food from Italy, served hot. (It’s comforting like mashed potatoes.)

Polenta is cornmeal (photo #1) that is often boiled served as breakfast porridge (here’s the difference between grits and polenta).

Its versatility allows it to be incorporated into mains and sides for lunch and dinner.

You can also slice it and use it as a base for appetizers or hors d’oeuvre.

That’s because when polenta cools, it solidifies into a loaf (photo #2) that can sliced and baked, fried, or grilled.
 
 
WHAT IS POLENTA?

Polenta—which is both the Italian word for cornmeal and a cooked dish made from it—has become familiar in America through Italian and Continental restaurants.

But it’s not new to America.

For the first two centuries on the continent, American diets contained much cornmeal: in bread, as breakfast porridge, as a side starch, and in other recipes.

Paradoxically, corn, which is native to the Americas, was shipped to Europe, where Italians turned it into polenta.

Back in the Americas, except for the Southern region, cornmeal was gradually replaced in American diets by refined wheat flour (note that milled polenta is not a whole grain).
 
Is Polenta Gluten Free?

Polenta is naturally gluten-free (the only grains that do naturally contain gluten are barley, rye and wheat).

Since so many other grains are processed in facilities that also handle these latter grains, however, some varieties of polenta may become contaminated with trace amounts of gluten.

Some brands of polenta print “gluten-free” directly onto their product labels for easy identification. Others don’t.

To be certain, check the label carefully for allergy information or a statement such as, “Produced in a facility that also handles wheat, rye or barley.”

Such a statement doesn’t mean cross-contamination has occurred, but it does increase the likelihood.
 
Polenta Nutrition

For most of history, polenta was grains of ground cornmeal that were stirred into boiling water until the grains plumped into a cooked cereal.

But with the advance of milling methods, it became more efficient to process the cornmeal.

While corn itself is a whole grain, polenta is refined: It is degerminated cornmeal, which has the germ and endosperm—(which contain the fiber and other nutrition—removed.

As with all refined grains, including white rice, the majority of the grains we consume have left their protein, iron and vitamins on the factory floor.

You can make polenta from scratch, or buy it in rolls, available in most supermarkets (photo #2).

The latter makes it easy to create stacked appetizers and sides. It’s available in plain plus flavors such as basil-garlic and sundried tomato.
 
We have to add a note here, that while we regularly buy all three, the flavor impact of the basil and the sundried tomato versions is not truly discernable. Note to Ancient Harvest: Add more flavor!
 
 
HOW TO SERVE POLENTA

The only limit is your creativity.
 
While it pairs delightfully with meat, poultry, and seafood, polenta is a great canvas for vegetarian and vegan dishes. Try it for your next Meatless Monday.

In addition to breakfast polenta—both as porridge and fried and served with eggs, we regularly serve it:

 
 
SWEET POLENTA RECIPES

[1] Organic yellow polenta made from heirloom corn, from Anson Mills. The company also sells white polenta from heirloom white corn (photo © Anson Mills).

[2] Polenta Kabobs made with refrigerator-case polenta. Here’s the recipe from Ancient Harvest (photo © Ancient Harvest).

[3] Polenta for breakfast or brunch, in a beautiful bowl with eggs, vegetables, and cheese (the polenta is hiding underneath the toppings). Here’s the recipe from DeLallo (photo © Delallo).

[4] Polenta Mushroom Casserole for lunch or dinner. Here’s the recipe from Oh My Veggies. (photo © Oh My Veggies.

[5] Polenta appetizer with beets. Here’s the recipe from Blue Diamond (photo © Blue Diamond).

[6] Ready for dessert? Here’s the recipe for this Blueberry Polenta Cake (photo © The Blueberry Council).

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[1] Instead of lasagna, make this pasta bake. Add chicken for a Chicken Parm fusion (photos #1 and #2 © DeLallo).

[2] Delallo Tomato Passata (purée) forms the sauce. You can find it in stores or online.

[3] Panko, Japanese-style crunchy breadcrumbs, are our favorite. We no longer use conventional breadcrumbs for breading (photo © Progresso).

We count ourselves among the lasagna lovers who eagerly order it at restaurants but don’t have the energy to make it at home.

We found a great hacks in Ravioli Lasagna, where sheets of ravioli are layered in between the cheese.

(Since it’s the first day of fall, here are recipes for Pumpkin Lasagna and Pumpkin Ravioli Lasagna.)

Today’s hack is simply a pasta bake with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan: the ingredients of lasagna in an easy-to-throw-together dish. No wrangling of lasagna noodles is involved.

Instead, you can use any “short cut” of pasta, from:

 
It’s also easier to eat than lasagna: There’s no need to cut into the wide lasagna noodles.

This recipe, which was contributed to the DeLallo recipe archive by Love & Olive Oil, adds chicken breasts as protein. If you don’t want the chicken, adapt the recipe to pasta only.

But chicken turns it into a different hommage recipe: Chicken Parmesan.

Americans say their favorite Italian food is Chicken Parm, and March 11th is National Chicken Parm Day.

There’s also National Chicken Parmesan Day on April 19th. See the explanation in the †footnote.

Below:

> The recipe for Chicken Parmesan Lasagna.

> The history of Chicken Parmesan.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of lasagna.

> The history of baked pasta (pasta al forno).

> The history of chicken and the different types of chicken: a photo glossary.

> The different types of pasta: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 20 pasta holidays.

> The year’s 40 chicken holidays.

> The year’s 58 Italian food holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN PARMESAN “LASAGNA”

Ingredients For 8 Servings

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile…

3. HEAT the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the onion is softened and fragrant.

4. ADD the tomato purée and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly and the chicken is just cooked through. Stir in the fresh basil and season generously with salt and pepper. Meanwhile…

5. COOK the pasta in boiling water until it is not quite al dente (subtract 2-3 minutes from the cooking time listed on the package). Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
 
6. USE a large slotted spoon to strain pasta and transfer it to the sauce. Add a few splashes of pasta water and stir until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce.

7. TRANSFER half of the pasta to the prepared casserole dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining pasta, followed by the rest of the cheese.

8. SPRINKLE with the breadcrumbs and Italian herb seasoning. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pasta is heated through*. If desired, broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the very end until the cheese is browned in spots. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
 

[4] Chicken Parm Lasagna (Abacus Photo).
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHICKEN PARMESAN

If you ask for “Pollo alla Parmigiana” in Italy, you will likely get a confused look. If it exists at all, it’s usually in tourist-heavy areas catering to Americans. In Italy, “Parmigiana” almost exclusively refers to the eggplant dish.

Chicken Parmesan (or Chicken Parmigiana) is a classic Italian-American creation. While it has deep Italian roots, the dish as we know it—a breaded chicken cutlet smothered in marinara sauce and melted mozzarella—is a product of the immigrant experience in the United States.
 
The Italian Ancestor: Melanzane alla Parmigiana

The true Italian parmigiana is Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane alla Parmigiana), which hails from Southern Italy (the regions of Campania and Sicily). As with the American version, it’s a layered dish of fried eggplant slices, tomato sauce, and cheese.

In Italy, it’s often served at room temperature as a side or a starter. It is rarely breaded and never served over spaghetti.
 
America Brings On The Meat

When Italian immigrants arrived in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they found that meat was significantly cheaper and more available than it had been in the Old Country.

They began substituting the humble eggplant with veal (Veal Parmigiana) and eventually chicken, which was even more affordable.

And yes, Eggplant Parmesan still had a place on the Italian-American table.

But the Italian-American versions became much more robust than the Italian eggplant dish.

 
Chicken Parm didn’t really hit the mainstream until the 1950, when it started to appear in Italian-American cookbooks and on restaurant menus.

By the 1960s, it was a staple of “red sauce” Italian restaurants and eventually became widely available as a frozen dinner.
 

[5] Italian-American Chicken Parmesan (Freepik Photo).
 
________________

*If your pasta was cool or cold when you put it in the oven—for example, if you made the pasta ahead of time and refrigerated it overnight—it will likely need more time.

†National Chicken Parmesan Day is listed on two different dates: April 19th and March 11th. April 19th was declared by Romano’s Macaroni Grill in 2017, tied to the restaurant’s birthday on that date. March 11th is also widely circulated online as National Chicken Parm Day (“Chicken Parm” rather than the full “Chicken Parmesan”). National Chicken Parm Day does not have a clear founding event—it just seems to have shown up on lists around 2020. But if you love Chicken Parm, you don’t need an excuse to celebrate it again.
 
 

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