Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Sauerkraut- Tender, fall-apart pork chops, tangy sauerkraut, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered and sweetened with brown sugar.
Happy New Year! What is it about turning the page on a calendar that inspires us to set new goals and dream new dreams? The new year is a metaphorical fresh start that fills us with hope and optimism. It gives us the courage to pursue new opportunities and take chances that we hadn’t before. Given all of these reasons, it seems like the perfect time to begin my own new adventure- this blog. Although it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, it’s also completely terrifying. What should I write? What if no one reads it? Where do I even begin? They say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”- so that’s where I’ll begin.
Every year, my family rings in the new year with this pork chops and sauerkraut recipe. This dish is a customary German tradition. They say that pork is good luck because pigs root forward with their snout, symbolizing moving forward instead of backward and making progress in the new year to come. Sauerkraut is believed to bring blessings and wealth for the new year. Whether tradition or superstition, it doesn’t hurt to try, right?
Growing up, I remember my mom always cooking this in a skillet. She would brown the pork chops and then add the sauerkraut, brown sugar, potatoes, onions, and carrots. It would simmer away, filling the house with the smell of home-cooked goodness. I have since tried this recipe in the slow cooker and it works beautifully. I still brown the pork chops before adding them to the slow cooker. I imagine you could just throw them straight in. Tradition, though. While the pork is browning, you can chop up the potatoes and onion. Layer everything in the slow cooker and add brown sugar, to taste. Add the water and let your slow cooker do the work. Meanwhile, you can get started on all the New Year’s resolutions that you made 😉
The pork chops come out fall-apart tender and the sauerkraut complements them perfectly. With the added veggies, you have a complete meal. From my family to yours, I want to wish you the a 2019 full of health, happiness, hope, and new beginnings.