Easy Sausage Bake With Sauerkraut and Apples

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 06/9/21
Sauerkraut and Smoked Sausage
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

This tangy sausage and sauerkraut dish reflects the hearty meals loved by German or Polish families, and rest assured, this is something your family will enjoy, too. Smoked sausage is baked along with onions, apples, and sauerkraut and sweetened with a bit of sugar, making for a simple recipe that's full of flavor.

Because every ingredient in this dish is cooked already, there is no need to worry whether the dish is done; the baking time is to heat and help the flavors meld together. This is a great dish for an Oktoberfest party or any fall or wintertime festivities, and can be served as is hot or with warmed applesauce or spicy mustard on the side. Serve this sauerkraut dish with hot baked biscuits or crusty rolls.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 large onion, quartered and sliced

  • 2 pounds smoked sausage, such as andouille, kielbasa, knackwurst, or chicken apple sausage, sliced

  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced

  • 2 cups apple juice

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

  • 2 pounds cold-pack sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 425 F.

  2. In a large ovenproof saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion and sliced sausages and saute until the onion is golden and the sausage is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. Add the apples and saute for 1 minute longer.

  4. Add the apple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, sauerkraut, and pepper.

  5. Add the caraway seeds, if using.

  6. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

  7. Serve with crusty rolls or biscuits and a tossed salad. Enjoy.

Tips

  • This dish is on the sweet side due to the light brown sugar, so if you are not a fan of sweetness, you can let the apples and apple juice be the sweetener and omit the sugar altogether.
  • In the fall during fresh apple cider season, substitute the apple juice with cider.
  • If you prefer, you can cook this in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low.
  • In Poland, the equivalent of this dish is called kielbasa kapusta. Kapusta is the Polish word for "cabbage." The braised cabbage is often flavored with mushrooms, onion, or garlic, and other seasonings like bay leaf and paprika.

Recipe Variations

  • If you omit apples entirely from the recipe, add one more cup of apple juice or cider in place of the apples.
  • This dish can be made with bratwurst or hot dogs, too. Any sausage, including blood sausage, goes well with sauerkraut and apples.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
391 Calories
29g Fat
22g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 391
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 1354mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 35mg 176%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 718mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)