Slow Cooker Kielbasa Sauerkraut and Potato Soup

It was cold. Darned cold. And windy. Just yucky out. But it was nice inside because I had a big ole batch of slow cooker kielbasa and sauerkraut and potato soup. Yeah it’s a mouthful to say, but it’s great German-inspired comfort food at its best. Nothing fancy. Great kraut flavor, but not so overpowering. Tender potatoes that soak up lots of flavor after hours and hours in the slow cooker. Kielbasa sausage.in every bite. Yes, every bite! Like I said, nothing fancy. Just good.

Slow Cooker Kielbasa sauerkraut and Potato Soup

Winter 0 Me 1

If you’re not a big fan of caraway seeds you can actually leave them out and still have a great tasting slow cooker kielbasa sauerkraut and potato soup. Trust me. My wife isn’t a fan of them, so I had to omit them. This despite the fact that it pained the German in me greatly.

I used Russet potatoes because they are my favorite and I always have a big bag of them on hand. You can substitute other potatoes. Just make sure that the potatoes are all about the same size so they cook in the same time. If you use smaller potatoes you might have to reduce the cook time a little.

Also try my slow cooker spicy kielbasa cabbage soup.

Slow Cooker Kielbasa sauerkraut and Potato Soup
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Kielbasa Sauerkraut and Potato Soup

You can leave out the caraway seeds if they aren't your favorite.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, sausage
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings 6
Calories 445kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Polish sausage pre-cooked. Sliced then sliced again into half circles
  • 2 pounds sauerkraut rinsed, drained. You can use less if you want.
  • 6 medium Russet potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Brown the cut sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer to a slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until the potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart. Stir gently every hour or so.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1674mg | Potassium: 1330mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Kraut-Stuffed Sausages

For years and years I have grilled my sausages after they spent some quality time in a ‘bath’ of beer and peppers and onions. And they are great, I admit it. But these kraut-stuffed sausages, well, they’re really beyond great. Tender, moist, and just packed with flavor. Such a wonderful texture in every single bite. I couldn’t stop eating them. Topped with plenty of mustard, these are now my only go-to grilled sausages.

Kraut-Stuffed Sausages

Sausages Are Important

You have to use the right kind of sausages to make these kraut-stuffed sausages. Get the fresh sausages, with casings. You need to be able to poke your finger inside to make a cavity for the fantastic (but easy) filling. If you don’t have casings to help keep the sausage together you might end up bursting them. Then what will you do? Cry. I would. And unless your fingers are really, really long, don’t get really, really long sausages!

I suggested to my wife that we try adding other things to the stuffing, such as chopped roasted jalapenos, or poblanos or the like and she gave me a dirty look. The “don’t mess with this” look. So I won’t.

Also try my bratwurst bath. Perfect for getting brats ‘happy’ before grilling them.

Kraut-Stuffed Sausages
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5 from 1 vote

Kraut-Stuffed Sausages

These kraut-stuffed sausages, well, they’re really beyond great. Tender, moist, and just packed with flavor. Such a wonderful texture in every single bite. I couldn’t stop eating them.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword hot dogs
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 5 servings
Calories 482kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh sausages Italian, Kielbasa, whichever you prefer, just make sure you get the sausages in casings. I used Johnsonville Italian sausages which come 5 to a pound
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large sweet onion cut thin
  • 1 pound kraut plus some of the juice
  • 1 cup shredded cheese Monterey Jack, mozzarella, any good white melting cheese will work
  • 5 sausage buns
  • prepared mustard

Instructions

  • Using your fingers, make a hole down the center of each sausage, creating a cavity that runs the full length of the sausages.
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion, kraut, and a bit of the juice from the kraut jar.
  • Stir and let cook until the onions are softened.
  • Remove from heat and let cool completely.
  • Stir in the cheese. It won’t melt but it will help bind the kraut mixture together.
  • Fire up your grill for indirect cooking.
  • Using your hands, grab some of the kraut mixture and force it into the cavity in the sausages. Just keep packing it in. Don’t worry about being all pretty and what-not, just get it in there. But don’t shove so hard that you have a blowout!
  • Place sausages over indirect heat on the grill and cook for 30 minutes until nice and dark and done.
  • Toast the buns.
  • Add cooked sausages to the buns and top with plenty of mustard.

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1541mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 448IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.

I’m always looking for something new to make on my oil-less fryer. This time I roasted a few smoked sausage with sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy and made a fantastic dinner. I could’ve made this dish with fresh sausages, but I had a 3-pound pack of pre-cooked sausages on hand, so that’s what I used. You can use fresh too.

So, like I said, it’s easy… Just skewer the sausages…

Smoked Sausage on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Into a fired-up Big Easy for about 20 minutes… The sausages came out moist and very flavorful…

Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Meanwhile I cooked up some kraut with onion and carrots. For the final dish I added a bit of our favorite mustards from Zatarain’s.

Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Great Plump Juicy Sausages Every Time

You could just as easily leave out the carrots and just serve the smoked sausage with sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy on buns topped with kraut and mustard. Yum!

The Char-Broil Big Easy 22-piece turkey fryer accessory kit has everything you need to make ribs, chicken legs, kabobs and just about anything else!

Don’t be afraid to roast a few red peppers on your Big Easy to add to the kraut.

Love your Big Easy as much I love mine? Check out my Big Easy Add-Ons page and my free Big Easy eCookbook!

Smoked Sausage on the Char-Broil Big Easy
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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy

You could just as easily leave out the carrots and just serve the smoked sausage with sauerkraut on the Char-Broil Big Easy on buns topped with kraut and mustard. Yum!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Big Easy, Char-Broil, sauerkraut, sausage
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 805kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the smoked sausage

  • 3 pounds sausage cooked or smoked. I used skinless Kielbasa. You can substitute fresh sausage, cooking the sausage until they reach 165 F

For the sauerkraut

Instructions

For the smoked sausage

  • Fire up your Big Easy.
  • Place sausages on the Big Easy kabob holder.
  • Lower sausages into cooker and cook until desired color is achieved, 20-30 minutes.
  • Let cool slightly then cut as desired and use in the sauerkraut recipe below.

For the sauerkraut

  • Place kraut, onion carrots, and caraway seed in a large pan over medium heat. Cover and let simmer while the sausages cook.
  • Add cooked sausages and continue to simmer for a total of 1 1/2 hours.
  • Remove and serve with mustard for dipping if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 805kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 4589mg | Potassium: 1498mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3653IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 10mg

Nutritional values are approximate.