Lavender and Lovage

You are here: Home / Recipes / Seasonal Recipes / All Year Recipes / Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

By 38 Comments

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Yum

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal:

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

I do not profess to be an expert on Polish cuisine, and my knowledge and interpretation is based on what I see and read in magazines and newspapers, as well as what’s offered in local Polish restaurants in Luton, where my daughter lives, and which has many Polish residents. Having lived and worked in the States, I also have a basic knowledge based on what numerous American friends, of Polish origin, ate and enjoyed when I was there, and that list is pretty basic but comprises:

Sausages, especially smoked sausages

Pork

Sauerkraut and Cabbage

Cucumber and Dill pickles

Beetroot

Sour Cream

Sweet Curd Cheese

Bread

Cherries

Pasta and Dumplings

Herbs and Spices such as: Caraway seeds, Dill, Bay, Parsley, Paprika and White Pepper

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

So, all my Polish readers must excuse me if I have made any glaring errors in what I prescribe to be Polish cuisine! But, I am pretty sure that my recipe for today, Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer, is fairly traditional, especially when made with Kielbasa sausages. I first saw the recipe on another site, Beer and Brown Sugar Kielbasa & Sauerkraut by Brown Eyed Baker, and I adapted it to suit my own requirements, namely adding caraway seeds, omitting the brown sugar and using French Diots de Savoie sausages in place of Kielbasa. I was looking for an easy and comforting recipe to throw together in the slow-cooker for a midweek meal, and that used sauerkraut, and this recipe fitted the bill perfectly.

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

This simple recipe has only four main ingredients in it, namely sausages, sauerkraut, beer and caraway seeds and is easily served with crusty bread or baguette, as well as dill pickles and mustard, and it made for a most filling and comforting meal the other night. If you don’t have a slow-cooker, that’s not a problem as it can be cooked either in a covered casserole dish in the oven or on top of the cooker. You can use any sausages that take your fancy, but cured and smoked sausages from Northern Europe are by far the best and they don’t need pre-browning and they hold their shape well throughout cooking – as you can see from above, I used some fabulous Alpine sausages from the Savoy region in France, called Diots de Savoie, which have a very high meat content of 85% pork cuts and are smoked.

Diots de Savoie

Diots de Savoie

As this recipe was cooked in a slow-cooker, my rather lovely oven to table Crock-Pot, I am entering this recipe into Janice’s (Farmersgirl Kitchen Blog) Slow Cooker Challenge; and, as I added caraway seeds to my Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer for an authentic Polish touch, this recipe is perfect for Vanesther’s (Bangers and Mash Blog) The Spice Trail challenge, which is showcasing Caraway seeds this month. That’s all for today, look out for some new 5:2 diet recipes coming soon, as well as some lovely new vegetarian recipes too, have a great Wednesday, Karen 

NB: For some Polish Recipe ideas, I have found this website here: Tasting Poland

Midweek Slow Cooker Comfort Meal: Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Slow Cooker Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Print recipe
Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer
Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 8 hours
Total time 8 hours, 5 minutes
Meal type Lunch, Main Dish, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Occasion Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region European
By author Karen S Burns-Booth
A comforting Polish inspired meal that is cooked in the slow cooker with beer and caraway seeds; makes a fabulous mid-week winter supper, or serve at a BBQ in the summer for any large gatherings.

Ingredients

  • 125mls ale or beer
  • 350g or 4 large Kielbasa sausages (or similar smoked pork sausages)
  • 350g drained ready-made sauerkraut (I used a 3/4 of a 500g tin of sauerkraut)
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (or fennel seeds)
  • fresh crusty bread or baguettes to serve
  • dill pickles to serve
  • mustard to serve

Note

A comforting Polish inspired meal that is cooked in the slow cooker with beer and caraway seeds; makes a fabulous mid-week winter supper, or serve at a BBQ in the summer for any large gatherings. (Recipe idea was taken and adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Directions

Step 1 Place the beer, sausages, drained sauerkraut and caraway seeds in the slow cooker, and gently mix through to combine.
Step 2 Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, or a combination of both, Some slow cookers have an Auto setting that switches to keep warm for the last few hours.
Step 3 Serve with crusty bread, bread rolls or baguette, with dill pickles and mustard.
Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

spice trail badge square

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Sandwich

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Bread and sausage

Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut Casserole with Beer

Related Posts

Get my latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox

Plus receive my FREE 47 page eBook featuring 9 full recipes from my book!

Privacy Policy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Vanesther says

    This sausage casserole looks just so appetizing and I’m really craving some good sauerkraut now – I haven’t had any for years. And you already know just how much I like my sausages, so this dish is absolutely perfect for me and my brood! Thanks so much for sharing in February’s Spice Trail challenge, Karen – it’s a perfect celebration of cooking with caraway 🙂

    Reply

  3. Madeleine Morrow says

    The last time I ate this sort of meal was in Regensburg, southern Germany, on a icy day when the temperature was well below freezing. We sat in a small Sausage house on the banks of the river and ate our hearts out. Happy memories.

    Reply

  4. Dan says

    Nice dish! I’m making from time to time a version of this recipe, especially in winter. I usually use tomato juice instead of beer.

    Reply

  8. Fiona says

    This looks fabulous. A polish grocery store has just opened in our town so am going to get the ingredients from there and make for ‘him indoors’ at the weekend! He will be impressed!

    Reply

  11. Glamorous Glutton says

    Ooh this is a Perfect dish for me. I love sauerkraut, but don’t eat it often as Mr Glam’s not keen. I’d forgotten how good it is, I’m going to have to make this the next time Mr Glam’s out, maybe I’ll just tell him to go to the pub! GG

    Reply

  13. Deonia Copeland says

    I learned to make this dish when I lived in the Polish area just north of Chicago. Those ladies also added potatoes to it and it was delicious!! I was just 19 and a newly married person. It has remained one of my favorite ways to enjoy polish sausage. DAR lady

    Reply

  14. Sylvia says

    Love it Karen! The good old days at my grandmas 🙂 I’m going to buy my first slow cooker today it seems like all the boys at work can’t stop talking about the stuff they cooked in it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons