• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Ramshackle Pantry
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Culinary History
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Culinary History
  • Contact
×

Home » dishes » Knoephla Soup » Sauerkraut and Sausage Knoephla Skillet Dish

Sauerkraut and Sausage Knoephla Skillet Dish

Published on August 20, 2021 by Ben · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 6 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Sausage & Dumplings in a white bowl.

Cream, sausage, butter, and knoephla dumplings make up this luxuriously guilty pleasure. Sauerkraut and Sausage Knoephla Skillet Dish is serious German comfort food and a great single skillet dish for a weekday night or when you want something a bit special.

Knöpfle dumplings, sauerkraut and sausage in a bowl

In our exploration of Knoephla soup and my traditional Knoephla soup recipe, I found a German Knoephla recipe that I have fallen in love with. It is not a soup, but a skillet dish that has knoephla dumplings, sauerkraut, and sausage.

This Knoephla Sauerkraut and Sausage recipe still has the creamy, buttery feel of the soup I make, but adds some other excellent German flavors. This is an easy-to-make meal and if you already love sauerkraut, this skillet dinner is totally worth a try. Enjoy our Knoephla Sauerkraut and Sausage recipe.

Knoephla Sauerkraut and Sausage Overview

Growing up, I only knew knoephla as a soup recipe, but have since learned that it really is just the dumpling. While it is the awesome soup I know and love, there is more to these little buttons than meets the eye. There are many recipes that can be made with knoephla dumplings, and it only makes sense. The dumplings themselves are tasty and can take on the flavor of whatever surrounds them.

This nice, creamy skillet dish with dumplings, sauerkraut, and cream. It is faintly reminiscent of a creamed corned beef recipe that my aunt used to feed me. No, it isn’t Irish, but there is a cabbage element with the sauerkraut. Yes, we use sausage instead of corned beef, which makes it different, but still lends to a comforting meat flavor.

Basically, we are taking some of the tasty elements of the soup I know and moving them to a skillet. Then, adding some more traditional German flavors. Oh, and butter. More butter. mmmm.

Are the Dumplings the Same As The Ones From Soup?

The dumplings in this recipe have the same ingredients from the ones we used in our traditional knoephla recipe, but I did slightly change up how they were cut. I am ok with having some fairly large dumplings in the soup, but it didn’t feel right in this recipe. I cut the dumplings quite a bit smaller to about half an inch.

Frying Knoephla Dumplings

One noticeable difference between the soup and this skillet dish is how we treat the dumplings. Instead of just boiling the dumplings, we are going to fry our dumplings in butter.

We still boil them, but then also fry them to add a bit of crispness to the dumplings. The idea here is that we will get some of the little hard fry bits on the outer crust of the dumplings. I think there can be a fine line here between a nice crust and burning. Make sure to mix up your dumplings when they are frying and if it starts to get too brown, perhaps it is time to add the cream.

Can I Substitute Other Sausages for German Smoked Sausage

Yes. I would say that almost any cured sausage would be a good substitute for a package labeled as ‘German Smoked Sausage’. Sausage, in general, is pretty awesome and would be good in a kraut, cream, butter, and dumpling mix.

Raw knöpfle dumplings before being boiled on a white cutting board.
These are the raw dumplings before they are boiled or fried.
Frying the knöpfle dumplings in butter.
Here are the boiled dumplings that are in the process of being fried. Note the crisp and slight browning going on with them.
All knopfle sauerkraut ingredients are in the pan.
Here is all of the ingredients in the skillet cooking down to our delicious end product.
Two bowls of this German dish with a cutting board and some sausages on the side

Honestly, this was an unexpected delight in this series and I found a new appreciation for both knoephla and for sauerkraut. This is an easy recipe that can be made fairly quickly. Most importantly, it is yummy as heck. So, eat up aspiring German eater… make this Knoephla Sauerkraut and Sausage Skillet Dish today! 

Products I Used In This Recipe

  • Large Pot
  • Cast Iron Skillet
  • Chef's Knife
  • Strainer

Recipe Tips

  • You can really use any cured sausage in this dish.
  • I use a cast iron skillet, but any sizable pan should work.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Spectacular! I love that you gave it a try and if you liked it, let me know. You can leave a comment and rating below to let me know how it worked for you. If you could share this on your Facebook or Pinterest, it would be greatly appreciated. If you like what we are doing here, please subscribe to get updates via email, follow me on Instagram, and follow me on Pinterest.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Knöpfle dumplings, sauerkraut and sausage in a bowl

Sauerkraut and Sausage Knoephla Skillet Dish

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Ben Myhre
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 Minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dumplings
  • Method: Fry
  • Cuisine: German
Save Recipe Recipe Saved
Print Recipe

Description

This dish is so German and so tasty. Sauerkraut and sausage are all that we really need to say, but then add in knoephla dumplings, cream, and butter. Heaven in a skillet. So much flavor going on in this dish.


Ingredients

Scale

For Dumplings:

  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups flour

For Skillet:

  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • All of the Dumplings
  • 8 Ounces German smoked sausage, sliced into ½ sections or chopped
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups sauerkraut, drained

Instructions

For Dumplings:

  1. Mix all dumpling ingredients in a bowl and combine well
  2. Divide into two pieces just to make easier to work with
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece out with your hand so it is approximately ½ inch in diameter and like a rope
  4. If needed sprinkle with flour to make easier to work with
  5. Cut into ½ inch dumpling pieces and set aside.
  6. Add water to a large pot, salt, and heat to high
  7. Allow to boil 3-5 minutes or until all dumplings are floating at top
  8. Strain and set aside

For Skillet:

  1. Add butter to large frying pan and turn to medium high
  2. Once butter is melted, add dumplings and fry for about five minutes or until a golden brown crust starts to develop on dumplings. Make sure to mix with a spatula regularly.
  3. Add sausage and cook for another 5 minutes or until sausage is warmed
  4. Add milk and allow to simmer for 15 minutes
  5. add salt and pepper to taste
  6. Add sauerkraut and cook until warmed.
  7. Serve

Notes

  • You can really use any cured sausage in this dish.
  • I use a cast iron skillet, but any sizable pan should work.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¼ skillet
  • Calories: 599
  • Sugar: 9g
  • Sodium: 1659 mg
  • Fat: 30 g
  • Saturated Fat: 15 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
  • Carbohydrates: 55 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 23 g
  • Cholesterol: 171 mg

Keywords: sauerkraut and sausage

Did you make this recipe?

Rate this recipe in the comment section below,  sign up to get updates by email, and share this recipe on Pinterest.

Related Posts

  • A bowl of Knoephla Soup with parsley sprinkled on top and french bread in the background
    Knoephla Soup Recipe

    I want to share one of my favorite childhood comfort foods with you. Knoephla Soup…

  • Meat Lovers Chicago Deep Dish Pizza from the top
    Chicago Deep Dish Meat Lover Pizza

    This Chicago Deep Dish Meat Lover Pizza recipe is delicious, classic, and such a great…

  • easiest macaroni and cheese recipe picture
    The Easiest Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

    This is a simple, classic, and oh-so-tasty macaroni and cheese. Almost as easy as opening…

« Delicious Mangonada Frozen Drink
Kartoffelsalat - German Potato Salad Swabian Style »
  • Facebook1886
  • Twitter
  • Mix

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeff the Chef

    November 19, 2018 at 11:37 pm

    Boy, does this sound good. It kind of reminds me of pierogi in the sense that it has fried dough and sauerkraut - two things that I love. And bring on the sausage!

    Reply
  2. Punam

    December 12, 2018 at 3:55 am

    Looks delicious easy and yummy. Will surely cook

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ben

      December 13, 2018 at 5:30 am

      Oh, it is good.

  3. Meghan

    September 04, 2019 at 9:03 am

    This sounds so good! I lived in Germany as a kid so this brings back memories!

    Reply
  4. Alli

    July 11, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    I actually grew up with this dish! It’s definitely a family favorite!
    Not that I want to make this dish heavier in calories than it already is.. you should try frying up some breadcrumbs (the crust from some basic bread works best) in a bit of butter and then adding in the knoephla! It adds a crouton like texture to the mix. Everyone in my family would fight over those little gems haha!

    Reply
    • Ben

      July 12, 2021 at 6:37 am

      What a cool tip and memory. When it comes to a comfort dish like this, I think it is ok to ignore calories. At least for me.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Benjamin Myhre wearing sunglasses, a hat, and smiling at you.

Hi, I am Ben Myhre! Ramshackle Pantry is about the most decadent classics and the history behind them! We explore delicious recipes, the history behind them, and find ways to make the recipes our own! Then, I share my recipes with you. Find out more about me and Ramshackle Pantry in the About page.

More about me →

Recent Recipes

  • Easy Sangria Recipe
  • Grilled Chicken Legs with Yogurt Mint Marinade
  • Lemon Rhubarb Bars
  • Homemade Rhubarb Pie
Subscribe Click Here Emails - Updates

Popular Recipes

Footer

↑ back to top

"Featured In - msn.com, SheKnows, Mix.com, yummly, High Plains Reader, and Food Gawker" with logos

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2020 - Ramshackle Pantry

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter