This slow cooker sauerkraut recipe takes comfort food to happier and heartier places.

The slow cooker is my newest obsession. Food that cooks slower always seems to end up tasting so much better, with flavors that venture into deeper and more delicious territory. There is also something so satisfying about going about your day and coming back to the kitchen hours later to the meal you had nearly forgotten you put together hours earlier. It’s like you are rewarding your near-future self for the hard work and tribulations expected in the upcoming day.

My latest concoction is a Polish-inspired sauerkraut recipe that cooks in the slow cooker, requiring only a few ingredients, including bacon and beer! It’s the testament to ultimate comfort and includes a unique, albeit traditional, balance of flavors with the zesty, light sauerkraut and earthy, dense bacon.

If you are keen on keeping this dish vegetarian, simply nix the bacon altogether. You can add seasoned tofu or even a vegan version of bacon to retain the bulk or mimic the flavors of bacon.

Bacon & Beer Slow Cooker Sauerkraut Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions

• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup beer
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the sauerkraut

• 8 cups sauerkraut
• 4 sweet apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 pound sliced bacon
• ½ cup beer
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 2 teaspoons anise seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Turn the slow cooker on to low heat. Add in the onion, beer, and brown sugar. Stir. Place the lid on the slow cooker and let caramelize for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bacon on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

After the onions have caramelized for about 40 minutes, add in the sauerkraut, apples, beer, sugar, caraway, anise, cinnamon, cloves, and half of the bacon. Stir.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and let cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the apples are tender throughout.

Once ready to serve, garnish each plate with the remaining slices of bacon. Enjoy!

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Sauerkraut Image from Shutterstock

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