020 / 75 · Noodles, Grains and Pantry Bakes

Sausage and Sauerkraut Noodle Bake

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 30 min

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Drained sauerkraut and browned pork sausage give broad noodles a sharp, savory filling. A single can of condensed celery soup is used deliberately, with milk to loosen it and a rye-crumb finish for texture. The recipe starts with raw sausage, so it is browned and checked before the noodles and sauerkraut are folded in.

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Hand-drawn sausage and sauerkraut noodle hotdish with toasted rye crumbs.

Taste the sauerkraut before the pan gets hot

Choose ready-to-eat refrigerated or canned sauerkraut and read its label. Drain it thoroughly. If its brine is very salty or sharp for your taste, rinse briefly and drain again before weighing the prepared amount. The recipe needs the cabbage strands, not a cup of free brine. Long strands can be cut a few times with clean scissors so they distribute through a serving without pulling the noodles off the spoon. Do not replace this with a home fermentation of uncertain handling or a raw cabbage heap; those are different ingredients.

Let one convenience ingredient do a clear job

Condensed soup supplies a thick base and seasoning here. It is not added on top of a second full cream sauce. Stir it with the measured milk until smooth and add sour cream off the heat. Salt from sausage, soup and sauerkraut is already substantial, so the base calls for none extra. The final casserole is still checked at the center, even though the soup was ready to eat from the can. A familiar packaged ingredient does not tell you the temperature of the full noodle pan.

Keep the rye crumbs rough

Tear plain rye bread into small pieces and pulse or rub into coarse crumbs. A dark seed-heavy loaf will give a stronger topping than a mild light rye, so choose the flavor deliberately. Toss the crumbs with melted butter, then scatter loosely. The noodles underneath are boiled slightly short and folded into the sauce while warm. Small exposed noodle edges may brown, but a broad dry crust is not the aim. Rest briefly and serve a spoonful that includes cabbage, sausage and noodles rather than leaving the heavier filling at the bottom.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz broad dry egg noodles (225 g)
  • 12 cups water (2.8 L), for noodles
  • 1 lb raw fresh pork sausage, skins removed (450 g)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
  • 12 oz ready-to-eat sauerkraut, drained well and chopped if long (350 g prepared)
  • 1 can condensed cream-of-celery soup, undiluted (10 1/2 oz/298 g)
  • 1 cup milk (240 ml)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (1 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup coarse fresh rye-bread crumbs (60 g)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted (15 g)

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Large noodle saucepan, at least 5 qt/4.7 L, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Colander, Mixing bowl, Small bowl, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil if the topping colors before the center finishes

Allergens

Wheat, Rye: gluten, Egg, Milk, Celery; check sausage, soup and bread labels for soy or other allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet and bring noodle water to a boil. Drain sauerkraut well, rinse briefly if desired, drain again and weigh 350 g.
  2. Cook sausage and onion in the skillet over medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes, breaking sausage up, until onion is soft and several sausage pieces reach 160°F (71°C). Drain excess fat safely, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
  3. Stir in sauerkraut and caraway and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Mix condensed soup with milk in the bowl until smooth, add to skillet and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and stir in sour cream and pepper.
  4. Meanwhile boil noodles 2 minutes short of their packet time. Drain and fold into the warm filling. Spread in the dish. Toss rye crumbs with melted butter and scatter loosely.
  5. Bake 25–30 minutes until crumbs are golden and the center and several other places reach 165°F (74°C). Shield the crumbs loosely with foil if needed while the center finishes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Keep a label for shared tables

The soup, bread and sausage may each contain ingredients guests need to know about. Keep their labels until the meal has been served rather than assuming that the short recipe title tells the whole allergen story.

A useful detail

The 90-minute total allows draining and preparing sauerkraut, the full sausage stage, overlapping noodle cooking, the oven finish and rest. This method uses condensed soup, not a ready-to-serve carton soup.

Another way

  • Replace rye crumbs with 60 g coarse fresh wheat-bread crumbs for a milder crust. Keep the same butter and update label information as needed; the egg noodles still contain wheat.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or earlier sausage, opened-sauerkraut or dairy deadlines. Reheat to 165°F (74°C). Refrigeration is preferred to freezing this sour-cream-and-noodle mixture, whose sauce and texture can separate or soften.