Slow cooker kielbasa and sauerkraut
Kielbasa, tangy sauerkraut, sweet apple and potatoes simmered all day into the kind of cozy Polish dinner that tastes better the next day.
- 420 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $2.64 a serving
- 580 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 2 cans sauerkraut, 14.5 oz each
- 1½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, about 4
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 apple
- 1 lb 12 oz smoked kielbasa, 2 packages
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, to serve (optional)
From your pantry
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Each serving has about 580 calories, 21 g protein, 41 g carbs and 38 g fat, and costs about $2.64 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the sauerkraut in a strainer. it under cold water if you like it milder.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Cut the potatoes into 1½-inch chunks, the onion, and and slice the apple. Cut the kielbasa into 3-inch pieces.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Core. Coring means cutting out the hard center of things like apples, peppers or cabbage. That center is tough and woody, so it’s the part you throw away.
How you’ll know: What’s left is all tender flesh, with no hard, pale center.
Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Stir the sauerkraut, onion, apple and brown sugar together and spread it over the potatoes.
Tuck the kielbasa into the sauerkraut and pour the broth over the top.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4, until the potatoes are tender and the kielbasa is hot through.
Timer: 390 min
Dolly’s tip: The brown sugar and apple soften the sour edge of the kraut without making it sweet.Stir gently and serve with mustard on the side.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
