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2:18 pm
February 2, 2009
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Pete
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2 or 3 14-15 oz cans shredded sauerkraut
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 apple, cored and sliced thinly (unpeeled is fine)
1-2 tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs kielbasa
1 cup apple juice, beer or water (more or less)
Rinse well and drain the sauerkraut. Place in a casserole dish or dutch oven. Add onion, apple, and caraway seeds. Mix a bit. Cut kielbasa in serving pieces and arrange on top of sauerkraut mixture. Pour liquid over all. Cover. Bake in 275-300 degree F oven for 3-4 hours. Stir after an hour or so making sure that the meat is covered with sauerkraut. It should have browned nicely while on top of the sauerkraut. Add liquid if needed. Cook uncovered if too much too much liquid remains toward end of cooking period.
We use the cheapest sauerkraut we can find in cans. It doesn't matter how good the stuff is right out of the can. This recipe results in a very caramelized version of 'kraut & kielbasa.
Some people don't like caraway seeds. Leave them out if you want to. After this much cooking, there is not much flavor left in them however. We like them, so add quite a few. The addition of apples & onions is from friends in Gary IN who taught me to use some serious kielbasa and Polish wedding sausage. Yum!
Beer, water or apple juice all work well. I didn't have an apple today, so I used apple juice. Beer and apples is probably the best combination. Applesauce can also be used, just a couple of generous spoons full or whatever you like or think would be about an apple's worth. We used cider one time. Seemed a waste of perfectly good cider! The result was good, but not really any different than using simple juice.
Can be done very satisfactorily in a crock pot. I prefer it from the oven because the sausage becomes a little crispy before being stirred down into the 'kraut.
Any ringed sausage will do. We usually cut it diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. This is what I am expected to bring to church dinners. If I don't, I hear about it! Never have been sure whether they really like it or just understand that I don't cook much, so they tolerate this.
How does everyone prepare Sauerkraut & Sausage?
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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2:44 pm
February 2, 2009
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beeyourself
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Mine is very much like yours…I use the sauerkraut that comes in jars…and everything else is the same – but I only use beer. I serve it with a side of Hot German Potato Salad…and more beer! 
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2:49 pm
February 2, 2009
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Jayne
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I'm not a saurkraut and sausage person, but I do make my saurkraut and ribs the same way only in the crock pot.
I put a cooked granny smith apple in with my mashed potatoes when I do the sauerkraut. I found the recipe in an old german cookbook and the english interpretation of the recipe title is "Heaven on Earth"
It is!
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3:09 pm
February 2, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Oooh. That sounds good, Jayne!
When I've done this in the past using real sausage from Gary, I do use a good quality sauerkraut, and don't cook it so long. When we did that, we sauteed the sausage seperately in a pan, then added it to the already prepared sauerkraut/onion/apple mixture heated stove top.
Funny thing here: the old, trusted casserole dish I use for this is a Pyrex one that was a wedding present in the 60's. It has chickens in an almost Pennsylvania Dutch sort of design in 60's yellow, red and orange. Round plate, casserole dish and clear glass lid. The lid has a chip missing from it, but otherwise, the set is in tact, many moves and relationships later.
Chickens! In your honor, fellow inhabitants of the yard…
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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3:14 pm
February 2, 2009
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IowaDeb
| | Quad City Area | |
| Super Chicken | posts 713 | |
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Sounds good Pete! I usually fry sliced potaotes and onions then add some sliced kielbasa and cook until browned then I add a can of Drained Kraut to the mixture and serve applesauce on the side.
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Sometimes,I live in my own little world, but it's okay because they know me here.
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3:16 pm
February 2, 2009
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WV_Hills
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Pete said:
Funny thing here: the old, trusted casserole dish I use for this is a Pyrex one that was a wedding present in the 60's. It has chickens in an almost Pennsylvania Dutch sort of design in 60's yellow, red and orange. Round plate, casserole dish and clear glass lid. The lid has a chip missing from it, but otherwise, the set is in tact, many moves and relationships later.
Chickens! In your honor, fellow inhabitants of the yard…
Funny how the kitchenware outlasts the relationships in our lives…I got married in January 1970, and I still have my wedding present casserole dish and tea kettle. That's after a 10 year marriage, followed by a 15 year marriage, and now a 6 year relationship with Mike. That's 31 years of relationships, with a few uncommitted years in between each, and the 'relationship' to my cookware was the only one to survive the marriages. Now Mike gets to enjoy my wedding gifts with me. Not our wedding, but still…
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3:27 pm
February 2, 2009
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Jayne
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Yes it's funny how kitchenware outlasts men. but then it's kinda scary when I think about having kitchenware that's over 30 years old.
Pete, my sister has that same set of cookware!
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3:28 pm
February 2, 2009
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Salamander
| | Charleston, WV | |
| Superstar | posts 1031 | |
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I have a couple of my grandmas casserole dishes they are blue glass ones I'm not sure how old they are but I'm sure they are older than me. I love to use them, they beat any of the new ones.
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The person who upsets you the most is your best teacher, because they bring you face to face with who you are.
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3:29 pm
February 2, 2009
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Salamander
| | Charleston, WV | |
| Superstar | posts 1031 | |
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Jayne said:
I'm not a saurkraut and sausage person, but I do make my saurkraut and ribs the same way only in the crock pot.
I put a cooked granny smith apple in with my mashed potatoes when I do the sauerkraut. I found the recipe in an old german cookbook and the english interpretation of the recipe title is “Heaven on Earth”
It is!
Do you cook the apple in with the potatoes? I bet the mashed potatoes would be great with ham gravy.
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The person who upsets you the most is your best teacher, because they bring you face to face with who you are.
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3:44 pm
February 2, 2009
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Jayne
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Amanda said:
Jayne said:
I'm not a saurkraut and sausage person, but I do make my saurkraut and ribs the same way only in the crock pot.
I put a cooked granny smith apple in with my mashed potatoes when I do the sauerkraut. I found the recipe in an old german cookbook and the english interpretation of the recipe title is “Heaven on Earth”
It is!
Do you cook the apple in with the potatoes? I bet the mashed potatoes would be great with ham gravy.
yes, you cut the apple up just like you do the potatoes and boil it in with them. Sometimes I use two or three apples depending on how many potatoes I'm making.
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4:06 pm
February 2, 2009
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IowaDeb
| | Quad City Area | |
| Super Chicken | posts 713 | |
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I brown spareribs and then I mix a qt of sauerkraut and onion, 1 chopped apple a couple TB brown sugar and some caraway seeds and put it in the crockpot and put the spareribs over that with a little water.
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Sometimes,I live in my own little world, but it's okay because they know me here.
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4:24 pm
February 2, 2009
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Jayne
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I do the same thing, only I put the ribs in first with the rest over it.
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5:03 pm
February 2, 2009
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CindyP
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OMG, Pete, thanks for posting this!! I have not had saurkraut in over 23 years!!! I never think about it now!! We used to have saurkraut once a week when I was growing up (Dad was ocd about keeping the menu just like he had when he was growing up!) and I loved it!!! My exhusband didn't like it, I just asked John, and no he doesn't. But I am going to make it for my mother and I!!! I don't think this is the way Mom used to make it (and she probly won't remember either! :) ), but this sounds delicious!
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“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
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5:48 pm
February 2, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Thanks, everyone, for your input. And you reminded me that upon occasion I add a very little brown sugar in the middle if it isn't turning just a bit sweet as the onion & apples caramelize. Didn't today.
We are having baked potatoes with it tonight. We actually like them better than smashed, so why bother. Fried or baked are our preferance.
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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6:00 pm
February 2, 2009
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WV_Hills
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Now I know why I bought the Kielbasa at Walmart on Sunday. I had no idea you would come up with a recipe for me, I just knew there was a reason to put the Kielbasa in my cart and bring it home. I have the sauerkraut on the shelf in the pantry, and the apples and onions in bins, brown sugar if I need it, caraway seeds (I'm pro caraway seeds) and a choice of beer or apple juice. (Did I mention I have a pantry bigger than my kitchen – and it's full to overflowing? I could run a diner for a week without restocking.)
I even got some spareribs marked down in price. Maybe I'll have dueling crockpot/oven meals going and judge whether the sausage or the ribs is best when cooked this way. I'll let you know the verdict when I get them cooked in a few days.
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6:49 pm
February 2, 2009
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Jayne
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I vote for the ribs! LOL!
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2:48 am
February 3, 2009
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Leahld22
| | Newburgh, IN | |
| Superstar | posts 2673 |
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I always put a little sugar in the kraut….saw my Mama do this. Never had any cooked with apples of any sort, sounds good tho! 
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Life is too important to be taken too seriously.
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6:55 am
February 3, 2009
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WV_Hills
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I have venison steak, and ground beef for tacos in the refrigerator, ready to fix for dinner. BUT I also had a ring of smoked sausage – the kind with the skin on. It's not Kielbasa, but it's sausage. I also had half a bag of sauerkraut left over from last week's reuben sandwich binge, apples in the hanging fruit basket, onions in the pantry…
It was getting late, and I hadn't made anything for dinner yet, and I couldn't get this topic off my mind. I didn't have the hours to bake or simmer in a crockpot, so I improvised. Chunks of sausage in a big flat skillet. Chopped onion and apple (with peel). I browned the batch until it was really crispy, and the sausage had that nice caramelized coating. I added the sauerkraut, caraway seeds and a half bottle of beer. Lite beer – Mike loves it. I hate it so I made him finish the bottle. Okay, I didn't have to twist his arm. I put the cover on the pan and let it go for another few minutes to let the sauerkraut pick up the flavor from the apples and onions, and the browned and crispy sausage. I added a tablespoon of brown sugar on top just to make sure the whole thing was well caramelized. and cooked it uncovered until the beer was absorbed. I love that caramelized, sweet taste.
I had what my mother called “stewed potatoes” – big cubes of peeled potatoes cooked with lots of sliced garlic, salt and course pepper, and just enough water to start the cooking. The objective is to cook the potato cubes until soft, and the water is mostly absorbed, but the potato chunks are still chunks.
How to eat this delectable meal: A mound of potatoes on one side of the plate, sausage with the onions, apples etc. on the other side. Inhale the food. Refill plate. Inhale more food. Groan.
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7:56 am
February 3, 2009
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Salamander
| | Charleston, WV | |
| Superstar | posts 1031 | |
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I love stewed potatoes. I think I'll have to make some this week.
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The person who upsets you the most is your best teacher, because they bring you face to face with who you are.
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8:38 am
February 3, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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| posts 7875 | |
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Leahld22 said:
I always put a little sugar in the kraut….saw my Mama do this. Never had any cooked with apples of any sort, sounds good tho! 
The addition of apples reduces the need to add sugar, apparently. Or at least usually…
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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