Vintage slow cooker filled with creamy sauerkraut, unpeeled potatoes, and Polish sausage, with garlic bread and salad nearby.

Crockpot Kraut Stew

Sauerkraut: Drain, lightly rinse, and squeeze out the excess liquid. This softens harsh acidity without removing all of the sauerkraut’s tang.
Potatoes: Keep the peels on and cut the potatoes into approximately 1½-inch chunks. Smaller pieces may break down during the long slow cook.
Sausage: Use fully cooked Polish sausage or kielbasa. One and one-half pounds gives the stew a balanced amount of meat; use up to 2 pounds for a meatier variation. Taste before adding salt because the sausage, sauerkraut, condensed soup, and cheese are already well seasoned.
Texture: Do not add water at the beginning. Add it near the end only if the stew looks dry, using 2 tablespoons at a time.
Make Ahead: The onion and sausage can be prepared up to one day ahead and refrigerated separately. Cut the potatoes shortly before filling the slow cooker.
Storage and Reheating: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave to 165°F; do not reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with Cheesy French Bread and Spinach Salad .

Name: Crockpot Kraut Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 can sauerkraut; 1 can condensed cream of celery soup; ⅓ cup brown sugar; 1 cup onion; 4 russet potatoes; 1 ½ pounds fully cooked Polish sausage; As needed Monterey Jack cheese

Smoky Polish sausage and potatoes simmer with sauerkraut in a creamy celery sauce. A little brown sugar softens the tang, giving this slow-cooked stew its cozy sweet-savory balance.

By Betty Lou Gardner8 hr 15 minUpdated 2026-08-25

This Crockpot Kraut Stew turns a short list of pantry ingredients into a hearty all-day supper. Brown sugar softens the sauerkraut’s sharp edge while the smoky sausage, onion, potatoes, and cream of celery soup cook into a savory, spoonable stew.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I leave the potato peels on because they help the potatoes hold together and save extra work besides. This stew tastes even better the next day after the sausage and kraut have had more time to settle together.