Sauerkraut Casserole Das Ist Gut Ja
This is a little story about how I found this incredible sauerkraut casserole recipe. In early October last year, my husband and I had one of our little adventures. They’re usually not much more than a day trip and an overnight but still, a break from the everyday.
A generous friend offered us the use of her beautiful home for a night. It sits on a private cove on a tucked-away lake and it’s incredible. She’s making plans to turn it into a vacation rental and wanted us to share our thoughts.
The weather was uncharacteristicly yucky for that time of year as it turned out. Cold and wet. So instead of a walk, we went for a drive looking for something fun to eat and landed in nearby Eustis, Nebraska.
It’s “The Sausage Capital” of our dear state. Eustis is very German and famous for the sausage made there. Their annual community celebration is called “Wurst Tag” which literally means Sausage Day!
Our Little Adventure in A Little German Town
We drove through the tiny, tidy downtown looking for a cafe. Then we noticed a sign that read “German Dinner served today 11:00-1:00.” We were in adventure mode and eager to try something different.
So we thought, why not? I mean my husband is 100% German, right? And German food is hearty, flavorful, and unique. We bought a ticket and got in line.
The German dinner in Eustis was a buffet. I always like to try a new dish so I tasted a little dab of this interesting-looking casserole. Immediately, I grabbed a larger serving. The flavor is indescribably sweet, sour, salty and savory all at the same time!
We all know the marriage of bacon and brown sugar is made in heaven, right? Well, I gotta tell ya the angels sang Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus after my first bite and I had to track down the person who brought it!
It didn’t take long to sniff out the person who provided the casserole. She is proud of her recipe! The tall lanky lady obligingly wrote it down on a slip of scrap paper and told me it would taste best if I used her homemade sauerkraut!
What an entrepreneur! She told us she makes and sells 500 pounds of the fermented cabbage every year! I may just look her up and buy some if we’re lucky enough to go to Wurst Tag in June!
Don’t Knock It ‘Til You’ve Tried It
Do you know how some dresses don’t look good on the hanger but are amazingly flattering when you try them on?
This is that kind of dish. You’ve got to trust me on this one. I might not have tried this casserole if I just ran across the recipe somewhere. Tomatoes and brown sugar?? Doesn’t taste good on the hanger if you know what I mean! But boy oh boy is it ever yummy!!
German Sauerkraut Casserole with Bacon and Brown Sugar
Very fast and easy to throw together. Great flavor and color. Goes extra well with meatloaf or pork roast. I bet it would be great with sausage or even hot dogs!
Ingredients
- 1 quart fresh sauerkraut do not drain
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes drained
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp reserve 2-3 Tbsp drippings
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
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Saute onion in bacon drippings until transparent. Combine all ingredients in a shallow casserole dish. (You want some of the liquid to evaporate.) Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
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Thanks for sharing this article about our little town of Eustis and my Mom Nancy’s famous kraut salad. She is 81 and still going strong!
Thrilled!! We absolutely loved the German dinner!! The folks there are salt of the earth!! Wish I’d bought more noodles!!
And I should add I loved Nancy! I want to be just like her when I grow up!❤️
Looking forward to trying this. I never met a sauerkraut I didn’t like!
Me neither!!! Thank you!
I’ve been cooking a version of this for years. I ran across the recipe in a church cookbook (NWMO). I use equal parts canned sauerkraut and tomatoes. Then I usually skip the onion and the white sugar. Boil it in a skillet or dutch pot on the stovetop until most of the juices are gone. Serve with brats and hot potato salad. It’s one of the best things about the fall season.
Can I come over? 😍 My husband and I LOVE hot German potato salad!
Omg, I love this. I do mine the way my Mother did it as a side dish for Thanksgiving as a side dish on our dinner plate. It’s so good with Turkey and all the trimmings. We fry the bacon crisp remove it put the sauerkraut and brown sugar until most of the liquid is gone then crumble you bacon back in it stir and the put it in a bowl and enjoy. I see there are many ways to fix it. Thank you for your way.
Connie-
I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!! I am sooo sorry for the delay in responding to your sweet comment!! We’ve been overhauling my dreary kitchen and been doing a lot of the work ourselves so I’ve been a blog deadbeat for a month!! Thanks for taking time to share your methods!! I love it!!
I’m away from home but will try this as soon as I get back. I know I’ll like it. Have you ever tried the Colony Inn sauerkraut recipe from the Amana Colonies in Iowa? If not, look it up! We all love it,
We are having this recipe for our evening meal! It is delicious!
Awesome!! And you didn’t invite me?? 🙂
I am super stoked to make this recipe!! I pulled out my jar of sauerkraut and was thinking of 2hat i could make with it…. I just canned so many tomatoes they are coming out of my ears. So thankfully i can use a jar of them in this recipe! Ill let yall know how it turned out!!!
Can’ wait to hear! I bought a pint of home-canned sauerkraut and can’t wait to make this recipe again!!
Being from Vermont, I use maple syrup in place of the brown sugar and I also add sliced smoked sausage
I’m gonna try that!! Sounds amazing! Then it’s a main dish you smart cookie you!
It’s delicious!!