I’ve featured this before in my go-to lunches post, but it probably deserves its own day in the sun. This is a stupid-easy, 3-ingredient meal that I rely on again and again.
If you think you don’t like sauerkraut, I’d urge you to give it another try. My husband thought he hated sauerkraut, but he’s come around.
It’s a super-healthy food — especially if you get the kind that’s refrigerated, and doesn’t contain vinegar. Not that the vinegar is bad for you, but no vinegar on the ingredient list is a sign that the sauerkraut is truly fermented — which is good, because that feeds the good bacteria in your gut! (I use Bubbie’s brand, which I get at Whole Foods.) It also has fiber and Vitamin C. I find that my digestive system works better when I eat sauerkraut on a regular basis. (Your mileage may vary.)
So the meal is basically this: sauerkraut + some kind of sausage (lots of options) + one or more other ingredients to round out the flavor profile.
Just slice the meat, fry it till slightly browned, add the sauerkraut and cook till heated through. Additions are optional.
In the pic on the left, I used gourmet, uncured, sugar-free hot dogs. I added some diced apple with the sliced meat, so that the apples cooked till slightly tender. Another day, I was using chicken and apple sausage, and added some chopped avocado right at the end, just to heat it through a bit. In both mixes, the apple brings a little sweetness to the dish to offset the tartness of the sauerkraut. Both days I added a sprinkling of celery seeds and black pepper, but there’s plenty of flavor without them! Caraway seeds are another option, if you like their flavor.
Another veggie that I often add for sweetness: sweet potato. The image on the left below is using bulk breakfast or Italian sausage that I make myself. (SO easy! Just buy ground pork or turkey, mix in some spices, boom – you just made sausage!) This way, I make sure there’s no sugar, maltodextrin, MSG, or other baddies in my sausage. I keep patties individually bagged in the freezer for quick, easy thawing.
You could also use brats, kielbasa, etc. I’ve thrown in leftover pork chop or pork tenderloin sometimes, too.
The other plus to this meal is that everything is easy to keep on hand, and needs minimal prep and no measuring. I just portion out however much meat I need to make a healthy serving, then eyeball the veggies to make them equal or greater than the amount of meat, then just plop on the sauerkraut till it looks like a good amount.
(Here’s how I keep sweet potato already cooked and on hand in the fridge.)
Give it a try!
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