This vegan potato sauerkraut casserole is a warm, cozy and filling dish that you will love to feed your family and friends.
I’ve recently been eating a lot of potatoes. I mean, A LOT!
Because I follow Dr. McDougall and his starch-based way of eating, I became aware of what he and his wife refer to as “Mary’s Mini.” It is a 10 day re-set that you do by eating only one starch for 10 days. Every meal is that starch with a side of non-starchy veggies. It is intended to be boring, so all the tasty sauces that we know and love are discouraged. Condiments and seasonings are okay.
You choose which starch you want to eat and stick with that the entire 10 days. Because I LOVE potatoes, I chose them and thought I’d never get tired of potatoes.
Wrong. I got tired of them. By day 3 I felt like I could never eat potatoes again and be happy about it. But, I learned something valuable. So often, I was eating because I was bored or because something was so tasty that I didn’t want to stop. While doing the Mary’s Mini I found that I often went to the fridge, thinking that I was hungry, but when my choice was another potato…suddenly I realized that I really wasn’t hungry. Of course, there were times that I was hungry and opened the fridge and there was my potato salad or some plain potatoes and I would chow down until I felt full. What a concept…eating to feed my body!
So, re-training my brain is one of the benefits I’ve found so far. I hope to carry that forward and be more mindful of whether I’m eating for true hunger or just out of boredom or pleasure-seeking.
One of the many potato meals I made during this challenge was Potato Sauerkraut Bake. It’s a recipe that my mom has made my whole life. Of course, it had meat in it up until we all stopped eating meat and I don’t miss the meat at all. This is an adaptable recipe. We use sauerkraut because that was the original recipe and we love it, but we have also made it with shredded cabbage and that works well also.
We like tart apples in it, but you can leave them out if you are not a fan of apples…but are there really people who don’t like apples??
Here we go…start by cubing your potatoes. I use my Mueller chopper. It’s so easy and it makes the potatoes all the same size so they bake evenly. Below is a link to this cool gadget. If you use my affiliate link to buy this, I will get a few cents (at no additional cost to you).
If you don’t have one, you can cut the potatoes into 1/2″ cubes with a knife. Peeling them is up to you. I did peel this time, but often I leave the peel on. Yukon Gold potatoes are my favorite for this.
Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This keeps their color…or else they turn a gross grey/brown. Which really doesn’t matter much after they’re cooked.
Dice your onions into small (1/4″) pieces. Again, this is a super fast process if you use the chopper with the 1/4″ attachment. Sauté the onions in a frying pan over medium/high heat. Add splashes of broth to unstick the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. This creates a nice caramel color and flavor to the onions. Stir and add splashes of broth as necessary until the onions are soft. (if using fresh cabbage instead of sauerkraut, add the rest of the broth to the pan and set aside.
Peel and core your apples and dice into 1/2″ pieces like the potatoes. I put them in a bowl of water for the same reason as the potatoes.
If using cabbage instead of the sauerkraut, shred it coarsely. You can use a knife or a food processor with the shredding blade.
The assembly order depends on if you are using fresh cabbage or sauerkraut.
If using cabbage, add it to the casserole dish and spread it out evenly. Add the apples, then potatoes and finally your cooked onions and broth.
If using sauerkraut, assemble in this order: Potatoes, apples, sauerkraut, onions.
Season with Spike or your favorite seasoning salt. Or just salt and pepper.
Cover and bake, uncovering for the last 15 minutes or so until the top begins to brown and get some crispy bits.
Serve with your favorite mustard. I love it with a horseradish dijon.
This is a warm, cozy and filling dish that you will love to feed your family and friends. It was originally a recipe handed down from my Grandma that we altered by omitting the meat that she typically used.
- 4-5 cups potatoes, chopped coarsely Yukon Gold work well
- 3-4 cups apples, chopped coarsely Tart apples are best, like Granny Smith
- 2 cups sweet onion, chopped fine
- 2 14 oz containers sauerkraut Fresh is best, but canned will work
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1-2 tsp Spike or favorite seasoning salt optional
- 1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed optional
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Dice potatoes to 1/2" cubes. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
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Dice onions to 1/4" pieces. Set aside.
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Dice apples to 1/2" cubes and place in a bowl of cold water.
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If using cabbage, shred coarsely. Measure out 1/2 cup of broth and set aside.
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Sauté onions, using a splash of vegetable broth or water to loosen stuck bits of onion, scraping the pan as you splash the liquid in. Sauté until onions are soft. If using cabbage instead of sauerkraut, add the 1/2 cup of broth to the onions and remove from heat and set aside.
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Layer in this order:
Potatoes,
Apples,
Sauerkraut (including the juice),
Onions (try to distribute onions all over...use your hands),
Seasoning
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Layer in this order:
Cabbage,
Apples,
Potatoes,
Onions and Broth mixture (try to distribute onions all over),
Seasoning
If you are doing a Mary’s mini should you leave the apple out? I love sauerkraut and potatoes with Dijon mustard but I love the idea of a casserole baked together, yum!
Yes, you should leave the apple out during your Mary’s Mini, as fruit is not allowed during that 10 days. I left the apples out while I was doing the Mini and I did miss them, but it was still good without.
This is SO so good!! I was skeptical considering hardly any seasoning, but the acidity from the kraut and sweetness of the fruit really make the flavors pop in your mouth!! This has totally become a staple! Thank you
I agree! Thanks for letting me know that you like it.
Hi, I am going to make this today. I have been craving sauerkraut. Any idea of calories per serving? It looks delish I will let you know how it turns out.
I don’t know how many calories, but it is a low-calorie density food, for sure. The sodium tends to be high with the sauerkraut, so if that is an issue for you keep that in mind. We’ve made it with shredded cabbage also, and it was good but not as good. I’d love to hear how you liked it!
this looks incredible!! A bit labor intensive perhaps, but can’t wait to make it one day!
It’s definitely worth the extra effort. Using the dicing tool makes it a lot easier too. Let me know if you make it and how you like it.
My family enjoyed this! Thanks! This tasted best right out of the oven. In the reheated leftovers, the sauerkraut tasted more sour than at first.
I’m glad your family enjoyed it! I’ll have to pay attention to the leftovers next time…I haven’t noticed that. I do slather spicy mustard on mine so maybe that’s why I haven’t noticed. Thanks for your comment!
Do u drain the kraut before adding or use all the liquid?
Hi! No, I don’t drain the liquid. When the dish is done cooking most of the liquid will have been absorbed by the potatoes and that gives them a delicious flavor. Let me know how you like it!
Mani v this as we speak! How long do you cook for???
It usually takes about an hour. We cook it until the potatoes have absorbed the liquid and are easily pierced with a fork. Thanks for asking and please let me know how it turned out for you.
What size baking pan or covered casserole?
Thank you, Katarzyna
I use an oval pan that is about 9″x11″x 2.5″. Any shape pan that is about that size will work.
I’m PA Dutch and for decades ate pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes for New Year’s Day. And then we went vegan. My son found this recipe, sent it to me, and it sounded really good. I made it today. It was better than I expected. In fact, I don’t think I ate that much sauerkraut in one day in my life. My son told me I didn’t have to wait until next New Year’s Day to make it again, that I can make it any time.
I love this! I’m so glad your son found it and sent it to you. This is something my mom made for most of my life and when we switched to a vegan, whole food, no oil way of eating we were so happy that this converted easily. Thank you for your comment!
I made your glazed “meatballs” yesterday but not eaten yet -bet this would go nicely with them tomorrow. Ill let you know!
Nice combination! I look forward to hearing how you liked it together.
Do you think this could be made in a Crock-Pot?
Hmmm…good question! I think it would probably work. I’m not sure how long you’d need to cook it, but if you have any other potato recipe that you do in a crockpot, I’d use that as a guide. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Kimchi instead of sauerkraut?
Great idea! Let me know if you try it and how it turned out.
Yummy! I cooked it about 30 minutes longer than the recipe called for. I was looking 👀 for it to dry out a bit. So good, had it over a pile of green peas.
I need to amend the recipe because sometimes we find that it takes longer to absorb all the liquid. I’m glad you liked it!
This was delicious. My husband and I enjoyed it so much. I used fresh chopped cabbage, along with the apples. I put it in a 9×13 pan, but will have to figure out how to reheat it so it tastes just as good as the first time. Thank you.
I’m glad you liked it! It’s one of our favorites. We usually heat it covered, in the oven. But we have microwaved individual portions too. Thanks for your input!
I’m both fresh cabbage fermented in home to the dish prep with a diy pre fermented cabbage with leeks a kimchi style that is not a fish sauce base The veggies layering is stellar thank you ((((( hugs ‘n loves )))) Mine also does cranberry & rhubarb instead of apples & the Granny smith’s are rock star Fresh raw frozen time for temps to thaw stages now Again thank you I think I’v shared this post Again thank you ma ‘halo wille wanka
Wow! Your version sounds delicious and I will definitely try it with rhubarb and cranberries! I am a big fan of rhubarb😀
I appreciate you letting me know that you like it and have shared it. Happy Plant Eating!
What do you think of adding chopped walnuts and paprika?
Hmmm, I would say that walnuts would not suit in this recipe, but of course, everyone’s tastes are different, so give it a try. I’ve used smoked paprika in this and it is a great addition.
Thanks for asking! Let me know if you tried the walnuts and what you thought of it.
I made more than one baking dish. One is in the oven. Can I put the other one unbaked in the fridge or the freezer? I am not sure what to do because the one that is baking is enough for dinner tonight.
I usually bake the entire recipe and then eat the leftovers the next day. It reheats really nicely. I wouldn’t try freezing the unbaked one, but you could put it in the fridge and bake the next day.
Hope you loved it!
Delicious! I love sauerkraut, but rarely eat it. I was so glad that I had a big jar in my pantry so I could make this. The whole family kept commenting on how good it was. I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you and your family like it! It’s definitely one of my favorites. Thank you for letting me know it is a keeper recipe for you.
How many will this recipe feed as it is?
That depends on your appetite 😉 My mom (89 years old) and I will eat about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the casserole as our main meal. If you add a salad or something on the side, I would say that you could probably feed 4 people. I hope that helps!
This is so moorish! A surprisingly enjoyable dish, coming from someone with no particular affinity for sauerkraut.
I had to look up “moorish”, lol! I do love words and interesting phrases and this one has me stumped. I found this..”The Moors initially were the indigenous Maghrebine Berbers. The name was later also applied to Arabs and Arabized Iberians.” but that didn’t seem fitting. So you must tell me what you meant! We love this casserole and I’m glad you liked it too! Especially since you are not someone who loves sauerkraut like we do! Do let me know what you meant.
Moreish- it’s British and means you want to eat more of something.
Aha! I like that word!
This does not seem to have any protein in it. Do you eat it with something else?
All plants have protein in just the right amounts. I follow these plant-based doctors (McDougall, Esselstyn, Greger, Kahn, Kemper) and you can look at any of their websites to find information on the necessary amounts of protein needed. We’ve been lied to by the meat and dairy industry for a very long time, so it’s not unusual to still believe all that media hype. Basically, if you are eating enough calories from a whole food plant sourced diet, you will get plenty of protein. Thanks for asking this important question.
What size pan is used?
I use a variety of pans, but they are all around 9″x13″. We have an oval one that we use most often that is about 11″ long and 9″ wide and 3″ tall. I hope that gives you an idea of what you can use.
It does and thanks so much. I used a 13×9 and it worked fine. So yummy. I made it for work and we have a few vegan/vegetarians. It got a lot of thumbs ups.
So glad it was a hit!
Go for it!
Finally tried this recipe and it is great! Only potatoes I had were the purple fingerlings. So good! I’ll pass this recipe on!
So glad you liked it. Great idea to use fingerlings!
It was this dish that lead me to your site, i found it while looking for vegan sauerkraut recipes. I made it today and threw in a few baby carrots also. I ate some with German mustard and a serving with salsa also. I enjoy the flavor combinations with the apples., I’ve watched some videos on Youtube with Dr. McDougall before and may have to try the Mary’s mini sometime. I feel I’m becoming more disciplined in eating and it sounds like a good thing to do.
Hi! Thank you for trying my recipe. I haven’t tried salsa on it so I will do that next time I make it. Thanks for that suggestion! It sounds like you are on a good path with your eating. I wish you good health!
Do you know if it freezes well after being baked? It made alot! It was delicious but not sure we can finish it this week. Thanks
I have frozen it and, to be honest, it was okay…but I like it fresh much better. The potatoes get a bit watery when frozen and thawed. Another thing that we do when we don’t eat it all right away is to make it into soup. I use broth and add some more potatoes or potato flakes. Thanks for your comment and question!
The affiliate link to the dicer is not working. It just takes me to Amazon. Would you kindly send it to me? I’ve been contemplating getting a dicer, but haven’t quite done the research and would prefer to buy what an experienced cook recommends
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve fixed the link now so you should be able to click on it and get to the proper item on Amazon. Do let me know if there are any other problems with it!
I would like to make this and was wondering what you thought about adding sliced mushrooms to it. I’m assuming that would be good. What are your thoughts on that addition?
I think mushrooms would be good in it. I would saute them with the onions. Let me know how it turns out!
We just used this great recipe for Thanksgiving and our family loved it. One thing we modified is we added quite a bit more onion than the recipe calls for. We made it vegan but we’d love to try it with meat sometime too. Thank you sharing!
So glad your family loved it! It’s one of our favorites too, and we often use more onions! Thanks for your comment!
Do you drain the potatoes and apples and then pat them DRY, or they okay just drained and wet?
Just drained. No need to pat dry.
My can of sauerkraut was surprisingly dry. I mean, if wasn’t DRY, but there was less liquid than I’ve found in others. This was a “special” product of SilverFloss sauerkraut. It tastes great. But I’m wondering if I should add a 1/4 cup veggie broth to the casserole. Thank you, The whole casserole looks great!.
I make my own sauerkraut now and it’s not always as liquid-y as some store-bought, but I haven’t had to add liquid when making this casserole. But, that said, it shouldn’t hurt to add 1/4 cup of broth. When I bake it, I cook it long enough that it absorbs all the liquid on the bottom. Hope that helps and I hope you enjoyed it!
Very good. Relatively easy to prepare. Will definitely make again but next time I will add horseradish before baking and maybe some spicy mustard.
Glad you like it! We have a horseradish mustard that we love to serve with it, but hadn’t thought to add it before cooking. Thanks for the suggestion!
i make something kind of similar, but since we live in FL I hate turning on the oven. So…. I just toss it all into the instant pot and set it for about 7 minutes. I add a cup plus of broth with some dijon and caraway to the pot, then toss in both kraut and cabbage, a can of white beans, sliced onions, potatoes, a few diced carrots for color, add in a few broken up lasagna pieces, and we call it “cheater perogies”. LOL A good stir when done and close enough for us, and far easier and cheaper! I love it served with a dollop of homemade oat yogurt, and nooch, and don’t even miss all that butter!
That sounds like a really good meal! I never would have thought to add pasta. I’ll definitely give that a try because one pot meals (especially Instant Pot) are so easy! Thanks for the tip!