One Pot Dinner: Sauerkraut, Carrots, Potatoes & Sausage

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I'm often looking for new ways to cook sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is a lot more versatile than many people think and it doesn't have to be sour. My Dad loved fried sauerkraut!

One pot cooking is so easy. For this recipe, I played with a version of slow cooked sauerkraut that I have used of Julia Child's that calls for soaking and draining the sauerkraut. The more it is soaked and drained, the less sour it is.  For this recipe, I soaked a 12-ounce package of  kraut in cold water for 10 minutes, drained and rinsed, and then repeated this step twice more for a total of 3 soakings--30 minutes of soaking and then draining. The rest is easy!

In an oven safe casserole dish, saute until soft:
1 medium onion, sliced
3 t olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves

To this, add:
drained kraut
3 peeled and sliced carrots
2 c cubed potatoes

Once the vegetables were coated with oil, add:
2 links kielbasa, chunked
4 c chicken stock
2 t caraway seeds
2 T dried parsley
1 t thyme
Pepper to taste (no salt needed)
Bring the stock came to a boil,  cover, and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Served with a slice of thick bread---a perfect winter meal.