Crock Pot Kielbasa, Pork, and Sauerkraut

I am not entirely sure of this recipe's origins.  I got it from my mom, who makes it every New Year's Day.  I do the same now, but also make it at other times of the year.  It's particularly good when the weather is at least a little chilly, since it's pretty hearty.  Don't let the weather limit you, though!  One year Sean requested that we have it for Easter dinner when we were spending the holiday here in Maryland alone.  This makes a lot of food and is really intended to be eaten with a group.


You'll need:


2 lbs kielbasa, cut into large pieces
1 small pork roast (1 - 1 1/2 lbs)
2 large cans sauerkraut, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tbs caraway seeds, or to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded


This first part is optional.  I just like to give my pork roast a little head start before putting it in the crock pot.  It cuts down on the overall cooking time (which believe me, you'll be happy about later when you smell the awesomeness emanating from your crock pot).  Plus, I'm a little paranoid about underdone meat.  Don't ask why; I don't really have a good reason.  Heat a large skillet with a little vegetable oil on medium high.  Sear the pork on all sides.  I then like to cut the roast up into a few big pieces.  Set the pork aside for a second.


Alternately, if you're not a crazy trichinosis-fearing person like me, you can just cut your pork into a few big hunks and bury it in the other ingredients once you get them in the crock pot.


Combine the cream of celery soup, brown sugar, and sauerkraut in a crock pot (I used the 6 qt. insert).  Stir in the onion, caraway seeds, and kielbasa.  Nestle your pork down in the mixture, too.


Cover and cook on low for ~6 hours.  You can always jack it up to high for the first hour or so to speed things up if you're impatient like me.  Either way, check that pork with a thermometer before serving!  It should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  It will likely be falling apart after 6 hours, which is exactly what you want to see.  


Right before serving, stir in the 1 cup of jack cheese until it melts.  Dig on in!  I like to eat the kielbasa and pork, along with a little sauerkraut on a nice crusty bun, and then serve some mashed potatoes (no gravy, please) on the side.  Make sure to mix some sauerkraut into those potatoes, while you're at it.  You won't regret it.

We had some guests in town a couple of weeks ago, and I made this for them.  It was a nice choice because I didn't have to spend a long time in the kitchen.  I just threw everything together after I put my breakfast casserole (recipe to come soon!) in the oven, and voila!  We had a delicious late lunch.  

This is awesome.  It makes me a very happy Pollock.  When I said earlier that it's intended to be eaten with a group... that's not a hard and fast rule.  Sometimes I make it for just Sean and myself, and then we have a buttload of leftovers.  It's great reheated, too.  Please give this a try!  You will not regret it.

Turkey Chili for the Crock Pot

Crock pot or slow cooker?  I'm sure there's a subtle (or perhaps less than subtle?) difference, but I tend to use the two terms interchangeably.  Regardless, I can't say it enough.  I love using my crock pot.  My mom gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I must say, it is pretty awesome.  It's made by Hamilton Beach (and no, they are not sponsoring this post--I just really like the thing!), and has a base and 3 ceramic inserts of different sizes.  There's a 2 qt., 4 qt., and 6 qt. insert.

Having the different sizes has been really nice, allowing for some versatility depending upon how many people I'll be feeding.  I ended up using the 4 qt. insert for the following recipe.


I really like recipes like this because they 1) allow me to use my crock pot (see above--I love the thing) and 2) they're perfect for busy/lazy days.  Unfortunately, our day has erred on the side of quite busy, albeit pretty tame.  We did some running around yesterday morning and early afternoon, and came home to do some Fall cleaning around the apartment.  Yes, as you may have guessed, Fall cleaning is Spring cleaning's autumnal counterpart.


At any rate, it was the perfect recipe to just toss in the crock pot and then go about our business, starting to clean the apartment.  I did take a short break to bake some pumpkin cornbread (recipe forthcoming!) to go alongside our chili.  This combination was particularly nice and comforting given that this weekend has given us the first real signs of fall in Baltimore.  The skies are overcast and the weather is chilly.  


Alright, I won't delay any longer.  Here's the recipe for Turkey Chili in the crock pot/slow cooker!  Recipe originally found on Amy Bites.

You'll need:

1 lb lean ground turkey breast

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapenos and spices, undrained

6 oz. tomato paste

Cook your turkey in a large skillet until browned, crumbling it as you cook.  Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, sugar, cumin, and salt.  Stir to combine, and cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the onions are getting tender.


Place this turkey mixture in the bottom of a 4 qt. slow cooker.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste.


Put the lid on the slow cooker, and cook for 4 hours on low.  It's as easy as that!  Amy also notes that you can make this on the stove top.  Start out cooking the turkey, onions, peppers, etc. in a large pot.  After adding the beans and tomatoes, just bring the pot to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for around 1.5 hours.


You can top your chili with cheese, some green onions, or whatever else your little heart desires.

I did end up swirling in some sour cream after taking this picture.  Be forewarned: this chili has a little spiciness to it!  It won't knock your socks off or anything, but it definitely had more kick than either Sean or I were expecting.  I'll probably try dialing down the heat a little more the next time I make it, since neither of us is a big fan of too much heat.  Other than the surprising kick, this chili was really good!  I'll definitely be making more in the near future, and am happy that we have leftovers so that I can take them for my lunch this week.  Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!