Sausage and sauerkraut casserole

The finished product

After rummaging about in the freezer and fridge I hit on an idea to use up a long piece of frozen German sausage and the rest of a bag of sauerkraut we've been using to make Reuben sandwiches. Gosh, this was good!

Sausage and sauerkraut casserole
16 oz. German or Polish sausage
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, sliced
½ cup chicken or beef stock
2 carrots, in bite-size pieces
8 oz. red or new potatoes in bite-sized pieces
1 tsp fennel seed, coarsely ground
1 tsp caraway seed, coarsely ground
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

1 Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored and sliced thin
sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed (enough to cover the top of the casserole)

Cut the sausage into 2-3” pieces. Heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan. Add the sausage and onions and season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute 10 minutes, until the sausage is browned and the and onions softened. Deglaze the pan with stock.

Meanwhile boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until nearly done – about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

The veggies and sausage await the apples and sauerkraut

Grease a casserole. Put the sausage mixture into it. Add the potatoes. Add ½ the fennel seed, caraway seed, salt and pepper. (Be judicious about the salt – the sauerkraut and sausage might be salty.) Add the broth. Scatter sauerkraut over the top, enough to cover everything.

Bake covered until hot and bubbling, 1 hour if chilled; 30 – 40 minutes if already warm.

Serve with a grainy mustard and crusty bread if you wish.