Our Most Popular Recipe from January — Everyone Made It!

Jan Valdez
·3 min read
19
Overhead shot of cooked sauerkraut and sausage in a cast iron pan.
Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter

Weeknight dinners can be tricky. On Monday, my fridge is fully stocked with fresh produce like broccoli, cauliflower, and baby spinach, along with chicken thighs or a whole chicken — the possibilities for recipes are seemingless endless. But towards the end of the week, my fridge starts to look pretty sparse. Like, where did all the food go? (Somehow I still ask that question.)

There are also nights when I’m short on time and just need to get a quick dinner on the table. This is the reason why Kristina Razon’s recipe for four-ingredient kielbasa and sauerkraut skillet is a lifesaver. And it’s our most popular recipe from January for a reason. With just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge (hello, huge jar of sauerkraut … we meet again), you can have a satisfying dinner in less than 30 minutes.

What Makes This Recipe So Amazing

We all love a simple recipe, and this one is as easy as it gets. Kristina’s recipe calls for ingredients that you might already have: sauerkraut, kielbasa sausage (or any type of cooked sausage), butter, and brown sugar.

When I buy kielbasa sausages, I typically freeze them until needed. They’re always handy to have in the freezer for recipes like this — just defrost them in the fridge the night before. Some of the other ingredients are optional, but most of us have an onion and mustard on hand, right? (I admit that I rarely have fresh parsley at home, but it’s never too late to start an indoor herb garden; 2024 goals!)

Kielbasa and sauerkraut are super flavorful on their own, but they’re even better cooked together in a skillet. While we love the sharp and tangy flavor of cold sauerkraut on top of grilled hot dogs and bratwursts and in sandwiches, cooking mellows it out a bit and rounds out the flavor.

What Everyone’s Saying

Each and every new recipe on The Kitchn gets tested in another home kitchen, and this is what the cross-tester had to say for this recipe: “This skillet came together quickly and easily” and “there was a good balance of sweet and tart flavors.”

Several of you wrote reviews, saying “Easy and delish! Was a hit, even with my picky sons,” “Spouse loved it and I’ll have to remember to make this again! Thank you!” and “I just made this recipe, it was absolutely wonderful!” We really love this recipe, and hope you do too.

close up shot of cooked sauerkraut and sausage in a cast iron pan, with a wooden spoon resting in the bottom right part of the pan.
Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter

Ways to Riff on Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Skillet

Use fresh cabbage. For those of you who have a head of green cabbage in the fridge, try our 30-minute kielbasa and cabbage skillet. It’s another popular recipe featuring kielbasa sausage. Along with sautéed cabbage and a few other ingredients, it’s an easy and delicious meal that’s ready in 30 minutes.
Try different sausages. If you don’t have kielbasa, try cooked bratwursts, andouille sausages, chicken sausages, or even hot dogs. They’re all fair game here and just as tasty.