SNAUSAGES (Caramelized Kielbasa & Onion)

Snausages (Caramelized Kielbasa & Onions)

If there is one appetizer that I make that is anticipated more or gets gobbled up fast, this is the winner!  I'll bet you've never heard of "Snausages", but they have been a family tradition for decades!  Single bites of caramelized kielbasa and onions...what could be better?  And these are a holiday tradition at our house! 

Five simple ingredients, but the special little something in this thick and caramelized sauce is the beer, plain and simple.  Here in Cleveland we're lucky to have a wonderful selection of local craft beers, and it is so much fun to use seasonal beers throughout the year!  For Thanksgiving, I usually use a hearty stout (Great Lakes Brewing Company Octoberfest) or an orange-infused Blue Moon; for Christmas time I pull out the traditional Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  St. Patrick's Day celebrations usually mean a traditional Guinness dry stout.  And when we're sailing or partying at the marina, I love to pour in a hearty Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald - a wonderful porter beer.  And each variety is absolutely wonderful and sure to become your favorite too!

Snausages ("Caramelized Kielbasa & Onion")

These are so easy to make!  Simply pour a bottle of your favorite beer and brown sugar into a heavy Dutch oven and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until it reduced down by about a half.  Add a half cup of apricot preserves, and then pour the thickened sauce over chunks of kielbasa and slivers of onions in your slow cooker.  That's it!

​The hard part is waiting a couple of hours for everything to heat up together and slowly turn into the world's best appetizer!  I've lost track of how many people have burned their tongues and mouths on this because they couldn't be a little bit patient - so be warned!  They will be standing around the crockpot just WAITING for you to give them a go-ahead!

​Hope you have a chance to try these soon - they are FABULOUS!

Snausages