Sausage and sauerkraut balances the sweet and tangy flavor of sauerkraut and apples with savory seared sausage and smoky chunks of bacon.
This inexpensive family dinner is easy on the budget, but doesn't skimp on flavor. You can even transform this into a complete meal by using this as a base recipe for sauerkraut and dumplings. All you have to do is add dumplings while it simmers!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bacon - Regular cut is better than thick cut for this recipe.
- Yellow onion - A sweet onion can be substituted.
- Kielbasa sausage - Any similar smoked sausage can be substituted.
- Sauerkraut
- Brown sugar
- Granny Smith apple
- Brown mustard
- Smoked paprika
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Apple juice - An equal mixture of apple sauce and water can be substituted.
How to make it
To make this sausage and sauerkraut recipe, begin by sauteing the bacon in a large skillet set over medium high heat until crispy. Then remove the bacon, reserving the bacon grease. Add the onion and sausage to the bacon fat and cook until the onions are tender and the sausage is seared. Then remove from the heat.
In a large pot, add all of the ingredients, including the bacon, sausage, and onions. Any excess bacon grease can be discarded. Set the pot over medium-low heat, cover it with a lid, and bring to a simmer for twenty minutes. Then serve.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Sausage and sauerkraut stores well in the refrigerator for up to one week. It is actually a great meal to make in advance because it reheats easily in the microwave or on the stovetop, and the flavors continue to meld as it refrigerates.
Sausage and Sauerkraut
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 pounds kielbasa sausage cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 2 pounds sauerkraut drained
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Granny Smith apple chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown mustard
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup apple juice
Instructions
- Cut bacon into 1-inch chunks and fry in a saute pan set over medium-high heat until crispy, stirring as needed. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion and sliced sausage to the skillet and cook until the sausage is seared and the onions are tender.
- In a large pot, or Dutch oven, add the drained sauerkraut, brown sugar, chopped apple, brown mustard, smoked paprika, black pepper, and apple juice, along with the cooked bacon, sausage, and onions. Stir everything together, then cover with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
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