Growing up, I believed everyone had a deep and abiding love for sauerkraut like I did. (I guess it’s kind of a given when you’re raised in a Polish family.) It wasn’t until much later in life, namely when it came to my own kids, that I realized sauerkraut was definitely an acquired taste.

So, I make a concentrated effort to insure that they actually acquire that taste someday. It hasn’t worked with our 10 year old or 5 year old just yet, but the 4 and 3 year olds practically licked their plates clean when I served this dinner. I suppose a 50% success rate isn’t too bad. Although I am determined to see that percentage hit 100 someday.

For the Sausage & Sauerkraut Skillet Dinner, I cut the bitterness of the sauerkraut with some brown sugar, which also provided a nice caramelization of the sausage. It still tasted traditional, just with less of a bite.

Sausage & Sauerkraut Skillet Dinner

• 5 T. butter or margarine
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 lb. smoked or Polish sausage, sliced
• 1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 15 oz. can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/4 t. salt

1. Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the sausage and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately or cover and simmer over low heat until dinner time.

My original intention with this dinner was to make it a complete, all-in-one skillet meal with the addition of some potatoes. Unfortunately, some little hands got in my pantry and spilled water all over my bag of potatoes, leaving them completely unusable. So we had some noodles on the side instead.

If you want to make this a complete meal, slice or cube 3-4 potatoes and add with the onions in step 1. Cook as directed.

This post is being linked to:

• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace