Sausage and Sauerkraut

Three weeks into September and fall is settling in around the edges. The toddlers at the daycare came back from their summer routines and have been readjusting for three weeks now and by this week we are mostly there, mostly back in our groove, mostly behaving as the community I know them to be. I love this room. I have been the lead teacher in it for three years now and I know every child and every family and the ways each person is particular to themselves. It is the kind of knowing that is earned through time and attention and I am grateful for it every day.

Tyler and I talked about me possibly meeting his grandmother, his father Roy's mother, who is eighty-three and lives in Prattville actually, not far from me. He said she is sharp and particular and will ask direct questions and I said that sounds like someone I should meet. He said she will like you. I asked how he knew. He said because she likes people who know what they want and can cook, and you are both of those things. I asked if he had told her about me. He said of course. I said what did he say. He said he said she is the one.

I made a slow-cooker beef stew on Sunday, the first of the season, because September means comfort food and comfort food means something with root vegetables and broth that has been going since morning. The apartment smelled like beef and rosemary and it made the Sunday drive home from the farmer's market feel like arriving somewhere that was waiting for me.

The stew was perfect that Sunday, but it got me thinking about all the other dishes that carry that same weight — the ones that fill the apartment with warmth before you even sit down to eat. Sausage and sauerkraut is one of those for me. It’s the kind of meal I make when the season is turning and I want something honest on the table, something that says I am here and I am settled and I know exactly what I want. Tyler’s grandmother would approve of that, I think.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 pounds smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 (32-ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Brown the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Cook the aromatics. In the same pot, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
Build the braise. Add the drained sauerkraut, diced apple, cubed potatoes, chicken broth, white wine, brown sugar, caraway seeds, black pepper, and bay leaves. Stir everything together to combine.
Return the sausage. Nestle the browned kielbasa rounds back into the sauerkraut mixture. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
Simmer low and slow. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have melded together.
Serve. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Spoon the sausage and sauerkraut into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sausage and Sauerkraut — The Kind of Comfort That Waits for You