Just in time for Oktoberfest- this Sauerkraut recipe is a German classic. Cabbage is combined with bacon, smoked kielbasa and garlic sausage (and a few other ingredients) to make this filling and traditional recipe. Served up with a beer and a soft pretzel, and you will have a taste of Germany right at home.
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 strips bacon, chopped
- 4 garlic sausages, cut in half
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 smoked kielbasa sausage, diced (approx 3/4 cup)
- 1 jar sauerkraut (approx. 4 cups), drained and lightly rinsed
- 1 apple, grated
- 12 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/3 cup sweet apple cider (or apple juice)
Directions:
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside to cool. Keep most of the bacon fat in the pot, about 1 tablespoon.
Fry the garlic sausages in the pot until they are golden brown on all sides. Once browned, remove the sausages from the pot and set aside with the bacon. The sausages do not need to be fully cooked at this point. Add the onion and the chopped smoked sausage. Saute these together until the onion turns light golden brown in colour, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the drained and rinsed sauerkraut and the grated apple to the pot, along with the bacon. Mix up all the ingredients together then nestle the sausages on top of the sauerkraut. Add the apple cider/apple juice to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let the simmer for 30-40 minutes. After this time has elapsed, the sausages will be fully cooked and the flavours will be combined.
Serve 2 sausage halves per person…along with a side of mustard and a cool beer.
Enjoy!
