- 9-10 Polish sausages
- 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 1 cup beer or lager*
- ½ head cabbage, cut in wedges
- ½ onion, cut into chunks
- 4-6 carrots cut into chunks (or 1 small bag baby carrots)
- 1 lb red potatoes, cut in half
- 6-8 mini ears corn
- 4 tbsp butter, cubed
- 2 cloves garlic, cut into fourths
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Heat oil in iron skillet; brown sausages on both sides. Remove from skillet and cut in half diagonally. (Leave skillet dirty for now.)
In large slow cooker, layer vegetables in order listed and sprinkle butter and aromatics (seasonings) strategically. Arrange sausages on top.
Re-heat skillet and pour in beer to de-glaze, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Pour over meat and vegetables in slow cooker. Cook until done (3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low). Remove bay leaves before serving. Spoon cooking liquid over food while serving.
This recipe is adapted from an episode of Cook’s Country; which itself adapted the traditional “milk can dinner” used by chuckwagon cooks in the Old West (meat and vegetables were saved in an empty milk can, then cooked over the coals that night). You can adjust or substitute the amounts of any ingredient, based on what you have in your pantry.
*Note: chicken, beef, or vegetable broth can be substituted for the beer if preferred; but there will be a sacrifice of flavor. (The majority of the alcohol will be cooked out by serving time, and the food will not be overpowered with the taste of beer. I promise!)
The Soup Diva 