Slow Cooked Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

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I was being lazy yesterday.

It was a hot late summer day and the thought of spending a lot of time in the kitchen made me cringe a little.

But I did have a bag of organic raw sauerkraut I picked up last Sunday, a few potatoes and some Kielbasa. Rinse-rinse, chop-chop, all went into a slow cooker. 

8 hours later, I was rewarded with simple, hearty, and delicious dinner to enjoy with my family. So simple, I will need to do this more often.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups raw sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 2 pounds red new potatoes, rinsed and halved
• 2 pounds Kielbasa (or Bratwurst if you prefer), sliced
• 1/2 cup pale lager
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• Place onion, sauerkraut, potatoes, sausage, beer, chicken stock, caraway seeds, bay leaves, peppercorn and salt in a slow cooker. Mix all of the ingredients to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or 4-5 hours on high, until the potatoes are tender.
• Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm with bread and mustard.

Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon

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Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup flour, for dusting
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound baby carrots, or sliced regular carrots
• 1 pound peeled pearl onions
• 1 cup sliced white/button mushrooms
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• Place beef cubes in a gallon plastic bag with flour and shake until the beef is well coated. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 3 batches, brown beef in the skillet, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Transfer beef to slow cooker.
• Add garlic, carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms into slow cooker. Pour red wine and broth over the beef and vegetables. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper.
• Cover the slow cooker, cook on low for about 6-8 hours. The beef should be fork tender when it's done. Sprinkle chopped parsley on beef before serving.