Italian Sausage and Sauerkraut

Submitted by AuntWoofieWoof

"I love Italian Sausage and I love Sauerkraut. I thought I would cook the two together and see how it would turn out. It was really good. Sauerkraut can tend to be a little "gassy" so I always put beer in it to neutralize the acidity in the sauerkraut. It seems to do the trick for me. Sometimes draining and rinsing the sauerkraut just isn't enough. Beer also gives the sauerkraut a good flavor. The pears give it a little bit of a sweetness. Cooking time is approximate since some people may want to cook it longer than the suggested 30 minutes. This can serve either 2 or 4 people depending on how many sausages and how much sauerkraut each person may want."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Serves: 2-4

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 4 Italian sausages (I use Isernios brand)
• 16 ounces sauerkraut
• 1 cup beer (I use American beer)
• 1 cup diced canned pears

directions

1. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with the oil.
2. Add the sausages and brown them.
3. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut (optional).
4. Add the sauerkraut to the skillet, using a fork to distribute it evenly around and on top of the sausages.
5. Add pears and stir into the sauerkraut.
6. Add the beer and stir again.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Cover the skillet with a lid and lower the heat to"Medium" to"Med-Low".
9. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes.
10. You may cook it longer if you want to.

Reviews

[Jessica C.]

I've made this several times now. Its amazing! Some tips...this recipe works better for me when I use canned Bavarian sourkraut rather than German Kraut in a bag or jar. The German style kraut comes out very watery and kind of disinigrates..and Ive had to drain the pan several times while cooking. The canned Bavarian seems to do this much less and holds up its structure much better. Now for my personal additions.. I add a moderate of amount of ginger, and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. I also use a bit of brown or regular sugar (depending on what I have on hand) to sweeten it up just a bit more than just the pears will. I also poke holes or slice my saugages to keep cooking time down. Its a family favorite and everyone who has been to dinner, loves it!! Thanks for the recipe!!

 

[marionetzel]

I made the recipe for the first time last evening. It was an instant hit! I would agree that the sausages should be browned in less oil. The recipe was easy to prepare, good for a beginner cook such as myself.

 

[Chef PotPie]

We really loved this dish! The addition of pears is genius. On Auntie's advice, I drained the pears but saved the juice, and I did end up adding about 1/3 cup of it back to the skillet. I used turkey Italian sausage, and only about 1 tablespoon of oil to fry them in. (Always looking to cut back on fat!) We love sauerkraut, so I drained it but did not rinse it. The sour from the kraut and the sweetness of the pear liquid was a nice taste combination. I'll definitely make this again. Thanks Auntie!

 

[Crafty Lady 13]

Made for Feb., 2008 Bevy Tag. In the words of Rachael Ray, this recipe is YUMMMMMO! I followed the recipe as written, except that I added about 2 tablespoons brown sugar. I love sauerkraut, but have never had it with pears in it before. You can't really tell that the pears are there, but they do sweeten the kraut. I will be making this recipe often. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Auntie!

 

[foodtvfan]

Another 'keeper'! Really tasty version of sausage and sauerkraut and so quick and easy to put together. I used a package of 5 Schneider's Oktoberfest sausage and Coors Light beer. I usually use apples or grated potato or grated carrot to make my recipe #148768 but I really liked the pears in this recipe for a change. I simmered it, stirring occasionally, for about one hour, and served it with small boiled unpeeled new potatoes buttered and garnished with dill, pickled beets, and rye bread.