Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut [Kluski Kapusta Kiszona]

Kluski noodles, onion, sauerkraut and celery fried in butter and then baked to make up a traditional meatless Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut casserole.

While my heritage is primarily Polish, I don’t speak the language, so naming this dish was a bit challenging for me.  Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut is a lot easier to say for me than Kluski Kapusta Kiszona or Polish Haluski — so even though I will explain the traditional terms, for all intents and purposes, we are just going to call this one Polish Noodles & Kraut Casserole.  

This post is sponsored by Frank’s Kraut, but my lifetime love of their delicious sauerkraut and opinions here are all my own.  

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The cooler weather has our minds turning to comfort food, and what is more comforting than a casserole made with buttery egg noodles?  This is a stick to your ribs kind of meal.  Although it’s meatless, it’s filling.  We serve it as a main dish, but it also works amazing as a side dish to smoked Polish sausage, and it’s perfect for pot lucks, as it’s always well received.  

But what IS it?  Simply put, it’s noodles i.e. Kluski fried in butter with onion and sauerkraut. I added celery to mine, as I love the flavor it gives coupled with the onion.  Some add mushrooms to give it that earthy flavor.  

I found it challenging to name because it has a few.  I am thinking that is why most of us here in the U.S. call this traditional European dish Noodles & Kraut or Noodles & Cabbage.  

What is Haluski? 

Haluski is a dish made with onions, noodles, and cabbage, pan fried in butter. Haluski is of Polish and Slovakian origin although Ukrainians and Hungarians will disagree.  

What is Kluski? [KLOOSS-kee] 

Kluski is a Polish word that means “dumplings” or “noodles.”  Kluski noodles are similar to egg noodles, and in recipes can be interchangeable.  Kluski noodles are typically made of flour and water, where egg noodles have that addition of, you guessed it, eggs!

What is Kapusta? [kah-POOS-tah]

Kapusta is the Polish name for cabbage, or braised cabbage when referring to the traditional dish made typically with onions, mushroom, and garlic.  

What is Kiszona?

Kiszona means sour cabbage or sauerkraut.  

So, you see, not actually speaking the language, I found it hard to name.  So I decided to call it just what it is, Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut.   This isn’t a dish I remember having as a kid, at least not this traditionally.   However, my daughter is engaged to a man who is of Polish and Lithuanian descent, and they have a meal that is very similar to this, every Easter, and they call it “Polish Spaghetti.” 

This is a photo of me at my first Christmas, sitting next to my maternal great grandmother. She came to the United States from Tarnow, Poland at the age of 16. Her family settled in Nebraska, where she met and married my Great Grandfather and raised their family in Ashton, Nebraska.

I remember visiting her before she passed away when I was in 6th grade. She spoke very little English, so having my grandma there to help translate was always appreciated!  

When Frank’s Kraut asked me to prepare a comfort food/casserole-style dish to welcome in these cooler temperatures, this noodle dish was the first thing that came to my mind.   I have made many, many recipes using their delicious sauerkraut.  One of our favorite casseroles is this Reuben Casserole.  

Until recently, however, I have shared more German sauerkraut meals.  Focusing more on things like Oktoberfest. That was until last month when I shared this Polish Sauerkraut Soup [Kapusniak]   that I started diving more into recipes from my Polish heritage.  

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Ingredients in Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut:

• butter
• onion
• celery
• Frank’s Kraut
• kluski noodles

The celery isn’t pictured here, I decided to add it last minute, and loved the results! 

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty pan, I used my cast iron Dutch oven.  I use an oven-safe pan, to ensure that I can move it right from the stove to the oven when it’s time to bake.  Add the celery, onion, and sauerkraut to the melted butter and stir it frequently as it cooks.   While this is happening, in another pan, cook your kluski noodles.

Add a little salt & pepper and stir it all together.  Place it in the oven to bake.  The noodles on top will begin to brown, those are the ones my family always goes for first in any baked pasta dish.  We love that little bit of crunch. 

Let’s talk a bit about my favorite sauerkraut, Frank’s Kraut.  This sauerkraut is the one that I grew up on.  The only one I have ever cooked with as an adult.

Frank’s Kraut comes in cans, jars and my favorite, these poly bags.  When I buy the two-pound poly bags, I always buy extra and pop them in the freezer.  (have you ever eaten frozen kraut?  Oh my! So good!)  Once they are defrosted, I use what I need, then I place any remaining sauerkraut into a mason jar in the fridge.

Frank’s Kraut is one of the most versatile vegetables on the grocery shelf. Kraut provides nutrition and zest to many meals.  It’s made with 3 ingredients; Cabbage, Salt and Water.  It’s low in calories and gluten free, and comes in many flavors.  To learn more check out their website.

LOVE SAUERKRAUT?

Everything you always wanted to know about kraut! Where it comes from, how it’s made and TONS of sauerkraut recipes in this Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut.

Follow along with Frank’s Kraut on their social media to get delicious recipes all year long.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all things sauerkraut!

Check out ALL of my Sauerkraut Recipes!

Let’s get to this recipe for Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut! 

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Polish Noodles & Sauerkraut ( kluski kapusta kiszona )

Kluski noodles, onion, sauerkraut and celery fried in butter and then baked to make up a traditional meatless Polish noodle casserole.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Polish

Keyword: egg noodles and kraut, haluski, how to make Polish noodles and sauerkraut, KLUSKI KAPUSTA KISZONA, POLISH NOODLES & SAUERKRAUT

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Equipment

• Franks Kraut, Shredded, Canned, 14-Ounce (Pack of 24)
• Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Classic Red Enamel Dutch Oven (Island Spice Red)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cups Frank's Kraut drained (unrinsed)
• 1/2 cup celery chopped
• 1 16 ounce package Kluski noodles, cooked

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add to it: sauerkraut, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent and celery is cooked. About 20 minutes.
• While sauerkraut mixture is cooking, boil your Kluski noodles in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain.
• Stir noodles into the sauerkraut mixture.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 15 minutes more. Noodles will begin to turn golden brown on top.
• Serve right from the pot, top with scallions, if desired.

Notes

This serves 6-8 as a main dish, as a side, it will go a lot further. Makes fantastic leftovers!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 700mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g