Beer and Brown Sugar Kielbasa & Sauerkraut
115 comments » 
Two major disclaimers right off the bat:
#1: I have never been a fan of kielbasa.
#2: I am even less of a fan of sauerkraut.
Yet, I am hopelessly in love with this recipe. It doesn’t make logical sense. And yet, the stars somehow aligned. Could it be that beer and brown sugar make all the difference? Given the magical powers of both, it’s certainly possible. Back on the 4th of July, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I went to his friend’s house for a cookout. He mentioned there was kielbasa and sauerkraut (which I typically pass right over), and as a footnote said that they were cooked in beer and brown sugar. My ears shot up faster than a dog who hears a bread bag being rustled (or a peanut butter jar open, or a banana being peeled. Okay, my dog is weird!). I had to try it, even though I still kind of thought I wouldn’t really be crazy about it. Forget being crazy about it, or even liking it, I loved it. Afterward, I was sorry that I had filled up on so many side dishes because I was dying for another sandwich but was too full.
Over the last few months we reminisced about how great those kielbasa sandwiches were and how we needed to get the recipe from his friend. Finally last weekend we scored the recipe, and within hours had it simmering away in the crock-pot. This recipe honestly couldn’t be any easier to make – less than 10 minutes to get everything into your slow cooker, and then let it do the work. As with most things like this, the longer you let it cook the better it will taste. The kielbasa becomes so tender that it melts in your mouth, and the sauerkraut takes on a sweet flavor – delicious! If you’re a kielbasa and/or sauerkraut-averse person, take it from one of your brethren – you NEED to give this a shot!
This is perfect for football game days, and even for late Oktoberfest celebrations. Enjoy!
One year ago: The Baked Brownie
Two years ago: Black Bean Mushroom Burgers
Three years ago: Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
Four years ago: Sweet Dinner Rolls
Beer and Brown Sugar Kielbasa & Sauerkraut
Yield: About 10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 to 10 hours
Total Time: 4 to 10 hours
Ingredients:
12 ounces beer (can or bottle)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
3 pounds polish kielbasa
1 bag (or jar) sauerkraut (32 ounces), drainedDirections:
1. Combine the beer and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, until the sugar melts and the mixture is slightly thickened; set aside.
2. Cut the kielbasa into links and place in a slow cooker. Cover with the drained sauerkraut. Pour the beer and brown sugar mixture over top. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. (We ended up doing a combination - high for 3 hours and then low for another 3 or so. Definitely the longer it cooks the better it tastes!)
3. Serve on its own or on your favorite sandwich roll.
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Michelle, these sound wonderful for the football season. I LOVE sauerkraut, and my husband loves kielbasa…so together we should be able to enjoy these easily!
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I actually love the combination of kielbasa and saurkraut but this sounds even better with the brown sugar kielbasa for balance!
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Dad is a big fan of all these components – he was practically drooling and I can’t wait to make it
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I love Kielbasa! Hubby has a poker night coming up and I know what I’m making for it! I’m drooling.
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I don’t like Kielbasa, but this looks hella good! My Hubby would love it! Maybe I’ll give it another shot?
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OH MY GOD! I’m freaking out a little over how good that looks. I need to make it asap. I’m being good this week watching my calories and I’m hungry! I’m going to fall of the wagon thanks a bunch!
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Taste buds change especially with good recipes.
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This looks amazing!! I love crockpot recipes, too. I made something similar to this with turkey kielbasa a few months ago and it was a huge fail – the kielbasa was mushy. It was one of the few times my family and I had to actually throw a meal out and eat cereal out of desparation. I’m assuming the “mushiness” was due to the fact that it was turkey kielbasa. I’m anxious to try this one and redeem myself.
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There’s no other way to eat sauerkraut than with brown sugar!!
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OMGeeee that looks amazing. You really can’t go wrong with a great sausage. I was never a big fan of Kielbasa…but I think I will agree with you and say that I would probably love it like this.
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I can’t wait to try this! Question though, if I can’t find bagged sauerkraut, could I substitute well drained canned? We love the Bavarian style sauerkraut.
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Hi Cathy, Yes, you can use drained, canned (jarred would be even better).
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margot on October 15th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
How big is a bag of sauerkraut in case we do have to substitute caneed or jarred sauerkraut?
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Michelle on October 16th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Sorry, I forgot to include the size, I will edit it that now. It was 32 ounces.
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I can’t wait to give this a try. I might do this over the weekend while I’m cleaning up around the house. If this works out I might make it for the crew races. Thanks for posting.
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The Polish girl in me is swooning over this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!!
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Really??? Brown sugar & sauerkraut?? Sounds interesting . . . sweet sauerkraut . . . but it looks delicious and I am willing to give it a try. My family likes sauerkraut, well, “sour”, so I hope this will be a winner with them as well.
As to your dog, Michelle, I find it so funny that our dog has the same food fettishes
bread, peanut butter, bananas – all among her most favorite! She’s a known carbaholic, and will steal bread left on the counter to get a fix 
I’m so glad to know she’s normal! hahaha!!
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Ooooh, I cannot wait for an excuse to make this! I love kielbasa and sauerkraut so I can only imagine how tasty it becomes with beer and brown sugar!
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Oh… this looks yummy and PERFECT for fall!
QUESTION: I’m not sure that we have sauerkraut in a bag here, so I may need to substitute with jarred. How many grams are in the bag that you use?
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Michelle on October 16th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Hi Chantal, The bag was 32 ounces.
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This is a very interesting recipe… I will have to give it a try! I do happen to like sauerkraut already, so I’m sure I’ll love it. In fact, my mom and I are planning on making some homemade sauerkraut tomorrow, so I will bookmark this one for when it’s finally ready to eat!!
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Wow, that sounds awesome! I just tried sauerkraut for the first time a few weeks ago and was surprised that I actually liked it. Adding brown sugar and beer I am sure would take it to the next level of deliciousness. I think it would be excellent for a cold football weekend when I just can’t force myself to get out of the house! Thanks!
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That looks SO delicious! I love sauerkraut and kielbasa so I’d love this.
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Michelle:
These sound so good but I can’t have beer.
Any suggestions for substitutes?
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Hi Charlie, What about a non-alcoholic beer? If not then I might try something like ginger ale, although the flavor will be very different.
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Charlie on October 15th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Hi Michelle: Thanks for the suggestion.
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I’m wondering if it matters if I use a dark or light beer. I’m not sure which would be better!
I’m also without a slow-cooker at the moment…pondering if I could make this work in my dutch oven by either simmering on low or sticking it in the oven…Thoughts?
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Hi Amanda, I would recommend an ale or pilsner for maximum flavor. You could certainly use a light beer if that’s all you have, but one of the other two will give you more flavor. And yes, would totally work in your Dutch oven!
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Sounds and looks so delish. Great choice on the bun you used too…it’s perfect. When I was little and had to eat sauerkraut I used to pile on ketchup so it would cover up the sour taste. Now I just love to eat sauerkraut with ketchup…only this time I like the sour taste. Kind of gross I know.
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The pictures look delicious. I too have been looking for more slow cooker recipes. I’m curious to know how sweet the kraut ends up being with 1 cup of brown suger added. Thinking I may try it with a little less sugar.
Wonderful blog by the way!
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Hi Christin, Hard to really say how sweet since people have varying palates and what is really sweet to one person may not be the same for someone else. I personally think it has just the perfect balance of flavor – it doesn’t taste like sugar or candied yams or anything like that.
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Just re-located from the “other” side of the state
Actually, lived in a very nice area – Lancaster, PA but all hearts come home and we are now back in Pittsburgh. LOVE your site! This is a keeper for my Pittsburgh board on Pinterest : )
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Ohhhhh,I love kiełbasa:D and this recepie as well:)Thank you:)
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Sounds amazing however I have never cooked w/ beer before. What kind of beer is recommended. I live in CO where there are tons of options and want to make sure I take full advantage of those options and choose the right type. :0 )
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Hi Nicole, I would use an ale or pilsner – I think you will get a lot more flavor than if you use a light-style beer.
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This recipe is similar to one that my wife taught me. She grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country and for dinner on New Year’s Day, the cook this except they substitute pork steaks for the sausage. I use a dutch oven, put the steaks in the bottom, cover with sauerkraut and juice, and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cook with the lid on for the first 2 hours. Remove the meat to cool, returning the kraut to the oven. Once cooled, separate the meat into small-ish chunks and return to kraut with the lid off. At some point during the process you will have to add more liquid to keep it from burning, we use water. At the end, the kraut and pork is served over mashed potatoes. This meal is said to bring you luck in the new year.
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Oh my, I have never used brown sugar to make this. I can’t wait to try it… I’m drooling…
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I’ve never had either but this recipe and your gorgeous photos make me want to try it!
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I’m from German decent. Beer is used in many dishes. I’ve cooked kraut and/or sausage in beer for years, adding a little caraway seeds for extra flavor. SO GOOD! Will try it with brown sugar and beer… a great combination.
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Sounds great! One question – did you use fresh or smoked keilbasa?
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Michelle on October 16th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Hi Leanne, I use the kielbasa found in the refrigerated section, but it is fully cooked. It’s not smoked sausage, which is usually found near it, but the polish (or polska) kielbasa. So I’m not sure if that means it’s fresh or not, since it’s already cooked
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Pat on March 28th, 2013 at 8:38 am
What about fresh kielbasa? I bought kielbasa from a local church that sells it as a fundraiser for Easter. It looks like fresh kielbasa to me. Should I boil it first? I will be slicing it, so will the 6 hours in the crock pot cook it thoroughly enough? Thanks
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Michelle on March 28th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Hi Pat, I have never used fresh, so I would check any package directions about how long it needs to be cooked.
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When I came over here this morning, I was looking for a cupcake recipe I had seen here. Then I saw this picture. OMG, this looks sooooooooooo, good. I don’t like sauerkraut either but I may try this. The picture alone is a winner.
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Wow, now that’s a flavor packed dish. I love kielbasa. I’ll bet it’s really good with the brown sugar.
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I’ve never eaten suaerkraut – what does it tastes like, and which part of the grocery store do you find it?
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Michelle on October 15th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Hi Lisa, It’s sort of sour and like wilted cabbage. You can find it bagged in the refrigerator section near the hot dogs, or jarred/canned where the canned vegetables or condiments are.
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Sometimes foods we think we don’t like, just have to be prepared in the right way
Here’s to trying new recipes!
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# I love kielbasa!
#2 I love sauerkraut!
#3 This recipe looks fantastic!!
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I adore the idea of Not watching the stove & i love the wonderful smell of the crock pot simmering
TY for this great idea
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That looks so unbelievably yummy! I wish I had a big pile of them in front of me now! Thanks for sharing!
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This is oh-so-familar! And oh-so-loved around here! I’ve always wondered if this was a Pittsburgh thing. You know?
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I have to say, I have also never been a huge kielbasa fan, but these look delicious!
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Count me as another “don’t like either of those” people but…beer and brown sugar?
My boyfriend is going to fall down and kiss my feet on this one (he likes all of it!).
Yea – I’m all over this recipe!
I’ll be trying it for sure.
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This is about the same way I have been making mine, but I have never tried the beer and brown sugar simmered and than poured over it. Next time I am going to use ale or pilsner beer as I could not get my syrup to get a little thick. This recipe is a winner(we loved it) now for the sausage, I used the right sausage but it got kind of mushy, can you tell me why. I cooked it 2 hrs on high than switched to low for 3 hrs.
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Michelle on October 16th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Hi Gail, You know we just made this again today and our kielbasa didn’t get mushy, but it did break open. Last week we used Silver Star brand, and this week Giant Eagle brand. We cooked it the same way, so I’m chalking it up to maybe the casings being different, and perhaps the later breaks down more easily.
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Gail Hebert on January 9th, 2012 at 9:37 am
Hi Michelle,
We just love this sauerkraut. Where do you find Silver Brand and or Eagel Brand Kielbasa? Also do you leave your sausage whole or cut it small pieces? Thank you.
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Michelle on January 9th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Hi Gail, I bought Silver Star at Sam’s Club, and Giant Eagle is a grocery chain here in the greater Pittsburgh area; that is their store brand.
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Im drooling this sounds so good. Oooh I wonder if it would be yummy to add in a tbsp of some mustard in there too?
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Michelle on October 16th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
I’m sure that would be great if you’re a mustard fan!
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This is how I make mine all the time and it’s SO good! I serve mine w/ gnocchi – deelish!
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Looks like the perfect combo for me, love Kielbasa and kraut. Making this!!
Moore or Less Cooking Blog
Nettie
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Michelle, I’m not much of a sauerkraut fan myself, but I must say you’ve presented a delicious looking dish! I’d sit down for this kielbasa sandwich in a heartbeat… especially with a nice pint of beer!
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I’ve never had sauerkraut but I am amazed by how amazing you have made it look here. That kielbasa isn’t looking too bad itself. lol, maybe this is a great starting recipe for someone like myself who isn’t sure the sauerkraut is my friend.
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I love recipes like this and I love both kielbasa and sauerkraut (must be the German in me.) I am making this very soon. These would be really cute as sliders, too. Yeah, I am drooling over this:-).
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I love having things you can throw in the slow cooker for guests and this one looks like the perfect Wisconsin recipe!
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Does anyone have any ideas on what to serve this with? Often, I make fries with sandwiches like this, but it would be nice to come up with something new for a change. Thanks!
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Gail Hebert on October 20th, 2011 at 11:22 am
I serve this with mashed potatoes. It is very good. My Mother-in-law started me on serving mashed potatoes with sauerkraut. She used to make ribs with her sauerkraut. She would brown the ribs and than put the kraut over them and sprinkle brown sugar and salt and pepper on the kraut and bake in the oven. It was very good. I think you could use pork chops also.
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Michelle on October 20th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
I serve it on buns/rolls, so I just serve whatever you would serve with a sandwich – chips, etc.
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PhillieB on July 20th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Kerri, i like to eat perogies with this type of recipe. You can find them in most stores in the frozen section, I get them from Kroger. You can boil,pan fry,bake and my favorite,deep fried! I also use the perogies as a main starch for many meals. Use them instead of mashed potatoes for any meal. They do not have much flavor to them, which allows you to customize the seasonings to the meal you are preparing. Pan frying them is also a fav of mine,as they are finishing frying in they pan, I like to add salt,pepper and a tablespoon of butter. YUM! Also, perogies are like ravioli filled with mashed potatoes. I hope you Hillary them and you like them.
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I’m trying some skinless Ekrich kielbasa with the recipe! I am from Pittsburgh and I showed this to my family a couple of days ago and they all want me to make it for them. My dad is especially thrilled of the idea of cooking with beer
For those who hate the complete bitterness of sauerkraut like I do – I boil it and drain it a few times before mixing it with anything else (usually I do a pork and sauerkraut dish). So excited to try this 
Thanks for the great idea — go Steelers and Pens!!!
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I just tried this recipe tonight for dinner. It is absolutely delicious! The kielbasa was so tender it just melted in my mouth. The combination of the brown sugar and beer made such a wonderful sauce. This is one of the best things I have had in a long time. My husband isn’t a fan of sauerkraut but he loved this dish also. I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you Brown Eyed Baker!
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Hi, Can I follow the same guidelines and make this in a conventional fan oven on a low heat setting? All the best, Kg.
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Michelle on October 24th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
I’m not sure what a “conventional fan oven” is. Usually convection ovens have fans that run, and I have never used one. My guess though is that if you cooked this in an oven on a low temperature (equal to 325 or so), that should work as well.
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I can’t wait to try this, I have been dying to make kilbasa and kraut. I had a recipe that was similar (and I lost it) but used thinly sliced onions also that turned sweet and just melted into the kraut. I don’t remember using a whole can of beer but the more the better. I had no leftovers that time and I sure this recipe will be the same.
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I put this in the crockpot this morning! So yummy! Great dish for an autumn evening!
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I finally made this tonight for dinner. Wow! It made my boyfriend and I both into kielbasa fans. Only problem is how filling it is, and the recipe sure is too much for 2 people. I think we’ll be eating this for days to come. Not. A. Hardship.
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Thanks so much for posting this recipe! It was so yummy and I will be making it again!
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Wow our polish kiełbasa is famous
How nice!
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Its Christmas Eve morning and I just loaded my crock pot up with 6 pounds of Kielbasa, one bag of sauerkraut. What I am wondering is should I double up on beer and brown sugar? My pot is oh so full right now, I am sure I could add more, do you think it would be too much?
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Michelle on December 26th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Hi Tammy, I have almost doubled the kielbasa and left the sauerkraut the same, and used the same amount of beer and brown sugar and it has turned out fine. I think you’re okay!
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I had to share this one on my blog today. I can not wait to try to make this one. OMG it looks so good.
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No Beer am a Celiac,so I eat gluten free. what can I sub. for the Beer?
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Michelle on January 4th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Hi Michelle, I know they have gluten-free beers out on the market now, I would look for one of those. Otherwise, maybe ginger ale or root beer? (I’m not sure how either of those would taste or if they are gluten free, but they are the first suggestions that come to mind.)
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Let me also preface by saying, sauerkraut is NOT something you would ever find in my house, or on my plate, so I’m not even sure what made me want to try this dish (except the brown sugar….i will eat anything that contains brown sugar!), but with some hesitation (and alot of incense burning in the kitchen to combat the overpowering sauerkrat aroma) I figured why not, it’s a simple recipe with few ingredients thrown in a crock pot that I don’t have to pay any attention to for hours…that’s my kind of dish! And….it was amazing!! Even my 80-something, totally OCD mother (who will rarely touch anything that hasn’t been consistently on her table for the past 60 years) thought it was delicious and asked for seconds! No typical sauerkraut taste, the kielbasa was fall apart tender and sweet…I added some Maine Maple Mustard on the rolls which was the perfect compliment (for those who like their food on the sweet side). This will definitely become a regular on the menu rotation! The only thing I would change next time is the amount of sauerkraut…I bought two 16oz bags and had at least an entire bag-worth leftover since most of us weren’t huge sauerkraut fans and only added a small amount to our sandwiches; I believe one would be more than sufficient unless you’re eating it as a side dish to the meal. Excellent!!
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O.K…….. Made this, and used Ginger Ale in place of the beer. It was excellent. We loved it
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I’ve made this a couple of times, but have shared the recipe MANY times. I love it and my little boys loved the sweetness of the sauce with the kielbasa. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Are we using raw kielbasa?
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Michelle on February 6th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Hi Erin, By definition I think most kielbasa is like hot dogs – not “raw” meat, but cold and just needs to be heated. It’s the kielbasa you purchase in the case where the hot dogs and bacon are.
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Made this for the superbowl and it was a HUGE HIT!!!!! My husband who is not a fan of kraut loved it. Everyone at the party raved and said it was a keeper!
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This was fantastic! I made this the other night for my Daughter and family because her husband and my 2 grandsons love Polish sausage. I added 2 # of country style spareribs and used the bagged sauerkraut with light beer and light brown sugar. They loved it and only enough left for a small lunch. This is a keeper and I will make it again but now will try it with chicken and possibly beef. Love your recipes
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Love this!!!! I also chopped about 1/2 sweet onion and mixed it into the Kraut… It is so simple… and soooo good…
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I made this many times and it turned out so good! It is to bad that it did not work out for some people.
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I have heard nothing but good compliments on this. Not everybody likes the same things. I have had flops before in my cooking but this was delicious.
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Seriously, man, what is your problem? Give it a rest!
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Oh my goodness, thank you for posting this! It was delicious! And now I have another blog to follow. =)
http://allthingsjennifer.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/beer-and-brown-sugar-kielbasa-sauerkraut/
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Has anyone tried freezing leftovers? Does it work?
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I really don’t care for kielbasa but can’t help but buy it when it’s BOGO. I’ve tried many different recipes trying to find something, anything I could do with it and make it worth my while. Never would I have thought a recipe that had two other ingredients I don’t care for, being beer and sauerkraut, would come together and end up being a meal that I really enjoyed. The husband was impressed with how tender the kielbasa was from the slow cooker. Very easy to make is an added plus!
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I tried this recipe over the weekend for a little get together. Everyone LOVED it. It’s a keeper for sure. Wow – the keilbasa just melts in your mouth and everyone loved the flavor. Thanks for an easy great-tasting recipe!
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I just made this today and it was amazingly delicious! I used jalapeno kielbasa to add a little extra kick and decided to use Blue Moon Wheat Ale. I cut my pieces in half so the meat wouldn’t be so think and it would soak up more of the flavor. It cooked for about 4 hours on high and was perfect. I will certainly be making this a lot in the future. The only problem I’ve encountered is I can’t stop going back for leftovers!
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Thank you very much for the recipe! We found it to be waaaaay to sweet for our tastes, but it a great recipe that we are willing to “tweak” to suit us. We’re going to decrease the sugar by more than half, keep in some of the sauerkraut juice or add some apple cider vinegar, plus some caraway seed and maybe use a dark beer. The kielbasa does get super tender, this was a nice weeknight dinner, can’t wait to try again w/the revisions!
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Hi there, had been looking for something like this and came across your recipe. I used Eckrich Polish Sausage , had the bagged kraut and used a Sam Adams Boston Lager. Anyway, I am a poor planner and have an electric pressure cooker. I boiled the sugar and beer as stated above then tossed in the kraut and frozen cut pieces of sausage. Brought to pressure and cooked for 20 minutes and it was amazing!!! Served it with some sweet potato fries. My picky 13 year old devoured it, my husband inhaled 2 servings and said he could definitely “polish” off the rest. Thank you for giving me a super easy meal that was a home run in flavor, am thinking the next time to try a little caraway and a dab of mustard to give a little more depth?
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I am going to try this recipe on Dec. 8, 2012 for my sons birthday along with his friends, a bunch of drunken volunteer firemen. This will be his 30th anniversart of his birth ansd it is a surprise party being thrown by his wife.
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Forgot to mention, I am going to cut the kielbasa into small pieces instead of links. It will be smoked from the Polish butcher in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY
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Made this for the second time tonight and my husband and I both really enjoyed it (him especially!). The first time I made it as written and it was a little sweet for our tastes, but still good. This time I halved the amount of brown sugar and it was perfect. More of a hint of sweetness to balance out to sauerkraut and beer than a really sweet flavor. I’ll definitely be making this again, so easy to put together and leftovers are good too! Thanks for sharing!
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Absolutely fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing! I made this today and it is going to be our New Years tradition!
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I just made this for the first time for New Year’s day and it was amazing. I never liked kraut before. But I do now. Even my two year old ate it.
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Amy on January 1st, 2013 at 9:24 pm
It’s our New Year’s tradition now also!!
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This looks really good…even though it is breakfast time as I type this, I would eat some right now
I’m adding this to my recipe list to make for the month….
-m
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We always love sauerkraut and pork coming from Pittsburgh it is a tradition for us to have on New Years. So we tried this recipie but added our port roast the the kraut and kilbassi in the crockpot and with a steam po of mashed potatoes there is nothing better than this recipie yummmmmm is all we can say
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This recipe was very good, just like the poster I wasn’t a fan of kraut or kielbasa but after making this today I am sold….Thank You for sharing the Recipe!
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Are you sure it takes a whole cup of brown sugar? I made this last night, and it was waaaaaaaay too sweet. It also looked nothing like the picture. I think it would be great if the sugar was about 1/3 c instead of a whole one.
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Michelle on March 1st, 2013 at 11:40 am
Yes, 1 cup of brown sugar + 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer. I’ve made this at least 10 times, and it seems to come out the same every single time. I’ve never had an issue with it being sweet – everything just sort of caramelizes.
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I made this tonight with a couple of small changes because I didn’t start it until about 2:30, and I didn’t want to stay up until midnight.
Ingredient adjustments:
- Sliced kielbasa instead of cutting it in links
- Replaced beer with hard cider (dry) because (gasp) I only had one Guinness and my hubby wanted it.
- Added about a 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce (added to cider/brown sugar mix), because I like apples & cabbage, and figured it might be nice with the cider.
- Drained and rinsed the saurkraut, drained again
First, I combined the apple sauce, cider and brown sugar until it was a simmering liquid.
Then, I added the sliced kielbasa and cooked the entire mixture down until the kielbasa was cooked through. After that, I removed only the kielbasa and put it in the bottom of the crock pot.
Next, I added the sauerkraut to the simmering liquid and let it all get to a strong simmer / low boil. At that point, I added that to the crockpot. as well, covered it up, put it on high, and let it cook for about 3-4 hours.
Results were very good!
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Made this recently and it is wonderful! Made exactly as recipe stated, but I did wash and drain the sauerkraut. I’m not a huge sauerkraut fan, but this is really delicious and so simple to make. A keeper for sure.
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