Sauerkraut Surplus!

Dear Foodmomiac,

Do you have any suggestions for meals that incorporate sauerkraut? My fiance and I had brats and sauerkraut last night (realllll healthy, huh?), and I just hate to throw the whole bag of it away.

Thanks!
*steph

Hey Steph,

I LOVE sauerkraut (and I love brats), but those bags are very big, and it's one of those things that is hard not to waste. That said, there are a bunch of options. Michael loves sauerkraut baked with pork chops. This is not a personal favorite of mine, but if you do it, be sure to season the chops with salt, pepper and a touch of ground ginger. Brown them in oil and then lay them in a bed of sauerkraut to finish cooking in the oven (or crockpot). For some extra zing, try adding sauteed apples and onions to the sauerkraut.

Another option is to make up some Reubens. Get good quality corned beef, and layer it on rye bread with Russian dressing (equal parts ketchup and mayo), Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Grilling this in a pan or in a George Foreman-type press will make it even tastier.

You are sure to find a TON of recipes online for Reuben casseroles. These tend to make me cringe, but I see them all the time, so they must be edible. I'd start with All Recipes and explore from there.

However, if you are looking for something different THIS recipe is the one I would try. I like this for a variety of reasons. First, it is a salad, so it will be versatile enough to accompany practically any other meal. Second, it will last quite a while in your refrigerator, and since it's just two of you, this is a good thing. Third, it looks like this recipe changes the flavor profile of the sauerkraut. That is a nice feature, because too many nights in a row of that telltale sauerkraut might be a bit much. (A note: if you can't find the pimentos, just grab a jar of roasted red peppers and chop them up.)

Good luck, and let me know what you end up doing in the Comments section.

Readers, if you have any other favorite sauerkraut recipes, please post them here as well!

Technorati Tags: Sauerkraut, Recipes, Reubens

Comments

[Lauren]

I love LOVE reubens, but I've never made one at home. I think I'm intimidated by all that saurkraut. :)

[Nicole]

One of my former coworkers made a cake with sauerkraut in it. Weird but good!

[Stephanie Dobberfuhl]

Hey Danielle,
Thanks so much for the idea of Rueben’s. I finally got around to making them yesterday and they were delicious! Clayton really enjoyed them as did I. I didn't have anything in the way of a sauce for them so I mixed mustard and mayonnaise together (yumm), but surprisingly it went really well with the overall taste! Thanks again!!