12-27-2018 Supper was not a big hit in this house tonight. This recipe s best feature is that there is no messy greasy stove-top to clean and just one pot. That s where the positives end for us. There was so much liquid we had to serve this with a slotted spoon. It had an unappealing murky look to it. Worst of all the kielbasa took on a very strange texture. I could be kind and say it was tender but in reality it was simply soft and mooshy. The flavor overall was fine but the other factors I ve described unfortunately overshadowed that. I believe this traditional dish is best prepared in the traditional manner or slow cooker where not so much liquid is required.
I love sauerkraut but didn't have any on hand. Instead I used the leaves from the large head of cauliflower I had. I washed then chopped up the leaves and tossed them in the pot. It turned out delicious!
If you want to avoid your kielbasa turning to mush what you need to do is, when you put the kielbasa back in, put it on top of everything. Then secure the lid and set the instant pot to 0 minutes. It will come to full pressure and then automatically go to the keep warm setting. Let it naturally reduce pressure for 10 minutes and then let the rest of the pressure out of the instant pot. You just have to make sure that you slice your potatoes thin enough that the 10 minutes at pressure will cook them through. 3/4 inch to one inch works fine. This keeps the kielbasa from turning to mush. Now this is only if you are using precooked kielbasa.
I have been making this for years. I also add a couple of tbs brown sugar and some caraway seed about a tsp. You can also add pork chops or ribs on top of the sauerkraut before cooking. My family really loves this meal.
One of our go to suppers. I decided to make it in the instant pot instead of oven so referred to the instructions more than the ingredients... I used Italian sausage because that s what I had and maple syrup instead of brown sugar. I also added carrots and apple juice instead of beer. A very versatile recipe for comfort food during a storm.
We made the recipe as written it was pretty good but a bit bland for our taste maybe adding a tablespoon of Country French Dijon mustard would have hit the spot. But a very easy and tasty meal after work. Kids can easily do prep work after school.
You said...."If you want it to not turn to mush, follow the instructions", however, you never say when to add the Kielbasa....Check out your post before you hand it over to someone...
Loved the addition of fresh apples to sweeten the natural acidity of the sauerkraut just a touch!!! Delicious meal, we will definitely make this one again.
We enjoyed this! Next time I would double the onion and brown the potatoes first to add flavor; even with the sauerkraut, they were rather bland. I would also add caraway- the sauerkraut we bought didn’t have it. I suggest saving the crisp bacon to serve on top - our family doesn’t like soft bacon. But mmmmm sauerkraut! This makes a huge amount - invite some friends to join you- definitely comfort food!
