Some of you may have seen the word sauerkraut in the title and were tempted to click away because you are not a fan of sauerkraut. Others of you may have thought, yes sauerkraut, I love it in recipes, and you can’t wait to see what I have to share.
My son and I are in the first group. Sauerkraut is something we would be fine never eating again. However, my husband and girls love it. They will it eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar.
So, my son and I have learned to pick around it, I mean adapt and eat it 🙂 , and I have found ways to cook it that we don’t mind so much. Slow cooking is one of those ways.
When sauerkraut cooks in a crock pot all day it tends to mellow the flavor of it and it is not nearly as strong. That makes everyone in my house happy. My girls and husband get their sauerkraut and my son and I can tolerate it.
When meat, potatoes, and sauerkraut cook all day in the crock pot, it is not a pretty meal, but it is a simple and delicious one. And this is not so much a recipe. I put what I did in the recipe below, but you can vary the amounts you use.
Looking for more crock pot recipes? Be sure to check out all my recipes in my slow cooking series.
What do you think of sauerkraut? Do you love it or are you like me and can do without it?
Slow Cooked Sausage, Sauerkraut, and Potatoes
A simple three ingredient slow cooker meal.
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 lb kielbasa type sausage, cut into chunks
- 4 cups sauerkraut, with some of the liquid drained off
Instructions
- Place in the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Notes
If you are gluten-free be sure to read labels to make sure that your ingredients are gluten-free.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 448Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 1744mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 16g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
I find that if I rinse (and drain) the sauerkraut then I’m a bit happier about eating sauerkraut. It decreases some of the sour. Actually, I recently found a recipe that I like with smoked sausage, sauerkraut (drained and rinsed, of course), a small amount of ketchup, onion, and apples. It’s kinda yummy, and that’s coming from a lifelong scorner of the ‘kraut.
Beth,
Would you mind sharing your recipe with us? The sweetness of the ketchup has me intrigued!
Sure thing. The original recipe is on Food.com (nee Recipezaar), Recipe #224090. I actually use only 1 onion and 1/2 tsp caraway seeds instead of the dill, though. Enjoy!
Thank you Beth! I found it and will be giving it a try soon. I never liked sauerkraut, but a few weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and tried a different crockpot sausage & sauerkraut recipe since sauerkraut is so low in calories. It was ok. But something about the added ketchup to this recipe seems like a winner. I can’t wait to try it out!
Both of us really like sauerkraut but find it a bit too strong so usually I rinse the kraut, drain it and add a tablespoon of brown sugar to it to soften the taste. Add the sausage and we are quite happy. Try it.
Also good to add some gin to it. (not kidding)
Really? How much?
I just “glug” some in. Not a great lot. Gin has juniper berries in it. Or you can buy juniper berries to add to the dish.
I love this meal. I make it often. I too like to add a little sweetness to my kraut with brown sugar and carawy seed.
My mother, being German, cooked sauerkraut often. My favorite way was slow cooked in the oven under a bed of ribs. M..M..M..M. She always got the kraut with caraway seeds and they add a great flavor. Thank you for this idea and I may try it with some good smoked pork sausage, too. Does anyone have a crockpot that doesn’t boil on warm? I am having a really hard time with crockpots lately.
I grew up absolutely hating sauerkraut. My mom made it about once a year for my dad, who was the only one who liked it. The rest of us held our noses and ate the mashed potatoes and sausage by themselves. But then a couple years ago I tried this recipe: https://stolenmomentscooking.com/sausage-sauerkraut-skillet-dinner/. I love it, as do my husband and young children! I’m sure it has a lot to do with the brown sugar. 🙂 I prefer it served over mashed potatoes. Yum!
there is a huge difference in store “canned” sauerkraut and that in a bag or a jar versus homemade. Homemade sauerkraut is to die for good! I think cans add a really strange “metal” taste to sauerkraut so try the jar or bagged kind or make some homemade as it is super easy.
Lynn
You can also use some cheaper cuts of pork, like country style bone in or boneless ribs. The meat just falls off the bone.
and my family loves it, even though most of them do pick around the sauerkraut. My sisters and I would eat it out of the can for a snack. Of course, we also ate raw potatoes and turnips for snacks. Yes, we were poor, but we ate what
Dad had growing and we were out in the country. Love your recipes and can’t wait to try the coconut granola.
Yes, you are right, this would work with other cuts of pork as well. My husband loves sauerkraut with pork steak or pork chops as well.
Love Sauerkraut!!! I can’t wait to try this very simple recipe and the German Chowder.
add 1/2 head of cabbage to you sauerkraut and use whatever recipe you have……no need to drain the sauerkraut, comes out great every time.