Crockpot Kraut Stew
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.

Recipe link
Prep time15 min
Cook time8 hr
Total time8 hr 15 min
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- Granny's Recipes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 380
Ingredients
- 1 can sauerkraut — 27 oz, drained, lightly rinsed, and squeezed dry
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup — 10.5 oz
- ⅓ cup brown sugar — packed
- 1 cup onion — chopped
- 4 russet potatoes — scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1 ½ pounds fully cooked Polish sausage — cut into 1½-inch chunks
Garnish
- As needed Monterey Jack cheese — grated
Instructions
- Fill the Crockpot: In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the condensed cream of celery soup and brown sugar. Add the sauerkraut, onion, potatoes, and fully cooked Polish sausage, then stir until everything is evenly coated.1 can sauerkraut, 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup onion, 4 russet potatoes, 1½ pounds fully cooked Polish sausage
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for about 4 hours. Keep the lid closed until the final hour of cooking. The stew is ready when the potatoes are fork-tender but still hold their shape and the sausage is steaming hot throughout.
- Adjust the Stew: During the final hour on LOW or final 30 minutes on HIGH, stir once if possible. If the mixture looks dry around the edges, add water 2 tablespoons at a time until it is moist but not soupy.water, as needed
- Serve: Ladle the hot stew into bowls and top with grated Monterey Jack cheese if desired. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.grated Monterey Jack cheese, as desired
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
8 servings — Serving size: About 1½ cups
Some ingredients could not be modeled and may meaningfully change the totals. Treat these values as a rough estimate.
- Calories
- 380
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Protein
- 13.5 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 60 mg
- Sodium
- 940 mg
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Total Sugars
- 11 g
Equipment
- Crockpot or slow cooker (5- to 6-quart capacity)
- Colander
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon