It wasn’t until I moved to the Midwest (or maybe just North Dakota) I got introduced to the idea of savory strudels for a main course. I always grew up thinking of strudels as a sweet, dessert or breakfast item. There are many variations on this savory version that my mother-in-law makes whether it be ham and sauerkraut or ground beef and sauerkraut, but the idea is the same. Meat (which is even optional) + Sauerkraut wrapped in dough and baked.
It is a simple yet comforting, nostalgic meal. I decided to make my own version of this nostalgia and of course, in typical Jenny fashion, I had to up the ante.
I added some caramelized onions because well, everything is better with caramelized onions. I also added swiss cheese and used ground sausage instead of ground beef. As I said, the basis of this recipe is easily substituted for whatever inclusions you want to use. Swap out the ground meat for ham or omit it completely – add cheese or don’t add it. The sky is the limit.
Another note: you can use whatever kind of dough you prefer. Puff pastry works, however, I have found that we like either bread dough or pizza dough for this the best. The puff pastry isn’t as hearty and doesn’t hold up as well with more filling.
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Sauerkraut Strudel
a simple, comforting meal of sauerkraut, sausage, caramelized onions, and swiss cheese wrapped in dough and baked until golden brown.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
- 3 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp melted
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 – 3/4 lb. ground breakfast sausage
- 2 cups sauerkraut, well drained
- 4 ounces swiss cheese, thinly sliced or grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll out your dough into a large rectangle on a large, well greased baking sheet.
- Add 3 tbsp of butter to a skillet over medium high heat and melt. Add the sliced onion and cook over medium high heat until tender 7-8 minutes. Add a little bit of water (1/4 cup) and reduce heat to medium low. Let the onions caramelize for 15-20 minutes. Once caramelized, remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet, brown the sausage and break up. Cook until fully brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. While sausage is cooking, measure out the sauerkraut and drain well either using a colander or squeeze in several paper towels or a flour sack towel. Be sure to get as much moisture out as possible.
- To assemble the strudel, layer the filling ingredients beginning with the sauerkraut – add the caramelized onions, sausage, and swiss cheese on top. Once all the filling is used up, roll up the strudel and tuck the ends so the dough is sealed.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until dough is golden brown. If necessary, increase the temperature of the oven for 5 minutes to get a nice golden brown color on the dough. Once removed from the oven, brush with melted butter.
- Let cool down a bit before cutting in slices with a serrated knife. Serve and enjoy.
This looks similar to what we call breska. Can’t wait to try. Hope you are doing well, thanks for sharing this recipe!
Had krautstrudle with leftover ham for dinner last night!!