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Spoon holding sauerkraut above pan filled with sauerkraut on a gray background.

Baked Sauerkraut (Podvarak)

Aida
Savory and delicious casserole made with sour cabbage, meat, onions, and spices. Perfect winter comfort food!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Serbian, Slovenian
Servings 6
Calories 1619 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 13x13 inches baking pan (approximately 33x33 cm) preferably glassware

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1-2 yellow or white onions sliced
  • 10-12 ounces cured meats (prosciutto, smoked beef, bacon, ham, etc.), if making a side dish if making this as the main course, add more meat like chicken or turkey legs and thighs, ham, ribs, lamb chops, sausages, roast pork, etc.
  • 2-3 pounds sour cabbage (sauerkraut), or about ½ head of sour cabbage bagged, jarred, or homemade sauerkraut
  • 2 tablespoons peppercorn
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons paprika (more works too!) mild or hot, as per preference
  • 1-2 tablespoons stock powder or Vegeta or 1-2 bouillon cubes, crushed
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil vegetable, sunflower, avocado, etc.
  • (Optional) meat rinds take out after baking
  • 1-2 cups water

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 480°F (250°C).
  • In a frying pan add bacon (or any cured meats with fat on it), and heat up on medium, occasionally stirring. When the meat starts to warm up and/or melt, add onion. (If the pan is dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil as well.)
  • Fry everything an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the onion starts to sweat. Stir occasionally. (The meat should not be completely fried!) Transfer to the baking pan.
  • Try the sauerkraut. If it's too salty for your taste, wash it in lukewarm water. Drain and slice thinly. (Even if it is shredded, slice it a little bit thinner.)
  • Add sauerkraut and seasonings to the baking pan. Add any meat rinds, or remaining cured meat as well. Mix all the ingredients really well. (If making this as the main course, place the big pieces of meat on top, after you mix everything.) Add 1-2 glasses of water to the pan.
  • Cover the pan with foil, and pierce several small holes for the steam to get out. Lower the heat to 400°F (200°C), and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 90 minutes.*
  • About 60 minutes into the baking, take the pan out of the oven. Carefully lift the foil away from yourself, and check the fluid level. If it's running low, add a little more water. Fasten the foil again, and return to the oven for the remainder of the time.
  • After 90 minutes in total, lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C), and take the foil off. Bake without foil for an additional 15 minutes.*
  • Serve: warm to hot by itself or as a side like polenta, rice, mashed potatoes, homemade bread. (Remove meat rinds before serving.) Store: in an airtight container (or foil) in the fridge or a very cool balcony for up to 2-3 days. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Take out a few hours before you plan to eat it. Let it thaw and then reheat. Add fluid/ water as necessary. Reheat based on your preference. We recommend reheating it on the stovetop, on the lowest setting.

Notes

*Baking time and temperature: let your oven be the guide. If it runs hot, you can bake at 350°F (180°C), if it runs cool, bake at 450°-480°F (220°-250°), and keep checking and adjusting the temperature.
It also may take you a little bit longer than the allotted time, and that's fine too. The signs that the dish is done are that the meat is completely baked, the sauerkraut is crunchy on top and soft on the inside, and the fluid has reached a low point, but it has absorbed all the aromas. 
*Nutrition calculation is an estimate! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4Sodium: 12000mgCalcium: 271mgSugar: 6gFiber: 29gPotassium: 2663mgCholesterol: 278mgCalories: 1619kcalSaturated Fat: 36.4gFat: 111.7gProtein: 102.5gCarbohydrates: 54gIron: 24mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!