If you tend to pass on sauerkraut because of its potent flavor, this sauerkraut casserole just might change your mind. It takes the humble fermented cabbage and marries it with flavors like brown sugar, tomato soup and Swiss cheese to create the most delightfully sweet and savory one-dish meal.
The combination may sound a bit unorthodox at first, but one bite of this hearty casserole reveals just how beautifully complementary all those flavors are. The sauerkraut still shines through with its distinctive tartness and earthiness. However, it gets brilliantly balanced by the brown sugar’s caramelized sweetness and the soup’s rich, umami notes.
This dish starts by browning some ground beef along with the usual players like onions, garlic and parsley. While that’s happening, you’ll cook up some wide egg noodles to create a stick-to-your-ribs base layer in your casserole dish. The drained sauerkraut then gets an even sprinkling of brown sugar before those noodles and beef are layered on top.
From there, you’ll whisk together a simple tomato soup “sauce” to pour over the whole shebang before a blanketing of glorious Swiss cheese. As it bakes away, all those flavors mingle and meld together into absolute sweet-and-savory harmony.
The result is an utterly comforting side of tangy sauerkraut cutting through the richness of beef and sharp cheese. Yet it never veers into being overly funky or bitter thanks to those brilliant brown sugar and tomato accents. It’s nostalgic yet novel, hearty yet still fresh and bright all at once.
While already pretty stellar on its own, this sauerkraut casserole is also a wonderful canvas for customizing with different cheeses, additional veggies or even smoky, cured meats. Some diced ham or crumbled bacon would be an incredible addition to that beefy base. You could swap the Swiss for smoked gouda or pepper jack to lend an even more dynamic flavor.
However you dress it up, this humble sauerkraut casserole is truly an unsung comfort food hero to add to your regular rotation. It’s stick-to-your-ribs satisfying yet still keeps things interesting with its sweet-and-savory riffs on sauerkraut’s signature flavor.
Whether you’re a fermented cabbage fanatic or more of a skeptic, one taste of this delightfully different casserole is bound to win you over. It’s nostalgic, it’s striking, it’s sweet and it’s savory all at once – the perfect hearty yet slightly zesty meal to satisfy any comfort food craving!
Sauerkraut Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz wide egg noodles cooked per package
- 2 14 oz cans sauerkraut, drained well
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 10.75 oz cans tomato soup
- 1 10.75 oz can water
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a skillet, cook the beef with the onions, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper until browned.
- Layer the drained sauerkraut in the baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
- Top with the cooked egg noodles, then the beef mixture.
- In a bowl, whisk together the tomato soup and water until smooth. Pour over the casserole.
- Top with the shredded Swiss cheese.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes until hot, bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
This sweet and savory twist on a sauerkraut casserole is stick-to-your-ribs comfort food bliss! So hearty and full of flavor.
