Old Cookbook

Kielbasa potato and sauerkraut casserole

This recipe for Kielbasa Kapusta is my family’s traditional Polish Kapusta recipe made in a slow kielbasa potato and sauerkraut casserole! A plate full of kielbasa kapusta with text overlay for Pinterest.

Polish, and he has been talking about his grandmother’s and mother’s Kielbasa Kapusta for decades! When my Polish grandmother passed away when I was 17, I inherited a couple of her cookbooks and her recipe tin. That recipe tin has produced fabulous gems over the years. To surprise my dad on a recent trip back home, I decided to make our family Kielbasa Kapusta recipe for him, but with my twist! I kept all of the ingredients and quantities the same, but decided to cook the Kielbasa Kapusta in the crockpot! It’s way more convenient for my lifestyle, and I know so many of you will find this cooking method helpful, too!

Another change I made was to cut the kielbasa pieces smaller. This method enhanced the flavor of the dish by releasing more of the kielbasa juices, AND it allowed more surface area for the kielbasa to soak up the Kapusta juices! Overhead picture of Kielbasa kapusta on a white plate. Ooohhhh weeeee, is it dinner time yet? While I never tasted my grandmother’s version, my dad thought I pulled off a near match. I am SO glad I found and tried this recipe, which gave my dad and me another link to our family heritage, and produced a heartwarming treat we can pass forward to generations to come!

Kielbasa Kapusta Recipe Questions Answered: What is kielbasa? It is a type of sausage. In the USA, it is best known as any kind of meat that is U-shaped with a coarse texture. What do you serve with kielbasa kapusta? If you’re going to make it a complete Polish meal, then serve this along with my Polish Beet Soup. Serving kielbasa kapusta on a white plate.

How do you make Kielbasa Kapusta? First, melt the butter and bacon drippings until foaming stops in a large skillet for a couple of minutes. Next, add onions and cook, occasionally stirring, for about 8 minutes. Then, drain the sauerkraut at least twice, ensuring it is well-drained before putting it in the crockpot. Next, add the onions, salt, pepper, brown sugar, water, and kielbasa in the crockpot. Stir everything before you cover it and cook on high for 1 hour. Finally, reduce to low and cook for an additional 6 hours, stirring occasionally.