I know, I’m off the reservation again. But I don’t eat Italian food every night! I actually grew quite fond of this dish and it’s real easy to make on a work night. I’ve been making it for years for my family and in the fall when I have my Oktoberfest party (just another excuse to get together with friends, drink beer, and eat German food) I’m sorry I don’t have pictures of this dish, I made it and ate it quicker than I could photograph it. But I wanted to share it with all of you because it’s one of my favorite dishes, that’s not Italian. To all my German friends out there, i’m not sure how authentic this recipe is, but like I said, I’ve been making it for years and have added some of my own touches. Another thing I like about this recipe is how flexible it can be. You’ll see what I mean as I explain it to you.

German Sausage with Apples and Sauerkraut

• 4-5 links of knockwurst or any style German or Polish Sausage
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large apple (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious or whatever you have on hand) peeled, cored and sliced thin or cut into small chunks
• 1 – 2 pounds of Sauerkraut (depending on how many people) drained and slightly rinsed
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chicken base
• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
• 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

In a large or medium pot, depending on how many sausages and pounds of sauerkraut you are using, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute a couple of minutes until they soften. Add the apple and continue to stir till the apples soften, about 5 minutes. At this point add the wine. I used red wine, it doesn’t matter. The red wine gives it a little color. Cook the wine down for a few minutes. Now add the cup of water and chicken base. You can also use a chicken bullion cube if you don’t have chicken base. I prefer the base.

I like to rinse my sauerkraut about 20 seconds in cold water and let it drain in a strainer. Add the drained sauerkraut ,  caraway seeds and dark brown sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring everything well. Lower the heat to low and add the sausage. I like to cut the knockwurst in half so they don’t burst.  Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

That’s it! Serve with some spicy brown mustard and you have a quick meal. If you have some crusty rolls this makes a great sandwich. Just put some mustard on the roll, cut up the sausage and top with the sauerkraut.