Sometimes I get my inspiration while watching a German cooking show “Lecker aufs Land or “Landfrauenküche”. Six women from rural regions of parts of Germany cook for each other. At the end, the ladies rate each other on decorating the table and meals they prepared. These shows are on YouTube (see on bottom) in German for anybody likes to watch. This time the show was in Upper Swabia and had the Krautkrapfen on the menu. I cooked the recipe and wrote in English below.
Last time I visited the Swabian region I had the Maultaschen at some friends house. This Krautkrapfen version is a lot easier, no need to make your own pasta dough, just use cooked Lasagna sheets.
Frying bacon in a pan, remove fat 
Drain and crumble the bacon 
Mince onion and add to the pan 
Add fried bacon to the onions and fry for 2 minutes 
Squeeze the water out of the Sauerkraut 
Add the Sauerkraut to the onions and bacon. Season with salt, pepper and a little honey 
Place cooked Lasagna sheets on pastry mat 
Spread the prepared Sauerkraut mix over the halves of the dough, leaving the edges free, then roll up from the long side and place seam-side down on the worktop. 
Roll the Lasagna sheets with the Sauerkraut mixture 
Fill casserole dish with the rolls 
Add broth to the casserole dish about 3/4 up to the rim 
Bake covered at 350 F for 35 minutes 
Optional: Brown some bread crumbs with butter in a pan 
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and cover with browned bread crumbs 
Krautkrapfen ala Angie
If you feel like it and have time you could use this recipe to make your own Pasta for the Krautkrapfen. Once you prepared the pasta dough follow these steps:
Knead the dough on a floured work surface, cut in half and roll out both parts very thinly into long rectangles.
Spread the prepared Sauerkraut mixture over the halves of the dough, leaving the edges a little free, then roll up from the long side and place seam-side down on the worktop.
Cut the rolls of dough into slices approx. 5 cm thick (2″) and place them close together in an ovenproof dish.
Swabian Krautkrapfen (Sauerkraut rolls)
Ingredients
- 12 Lasagne pasta sheets (cooked for 10 min)
- 1 large onion
- 1/2 lb thick bacon
- 1/2 lb Sauerkraut (drained and squeezed)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp honey
- dash salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 750ml broth
- 3 tbsp butter
- Optional: bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook about 12 Lasagna sheets for 10 minutes.
- Fry some bacon and crumble.
- Drain the fat from the pan.
- Peel the onions and finely dice them.
- Add the fried bacon and onions back to the pan and fry 2 more more minutes.
- Rinse the Sauerkraut with water, then squeeze with your hands or in a kitchen towel until most water is gone.
- Add the Sauerkraut to the bacon and onions.
- Then season with salt, pepper, add some caraway seeds (optional) and honey.
- Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring, then stir in the sour cream and allow to cool.
- Spread the prepared Sauerkraut mix over the halves of the dough, leaving the edges free, then roll up from the long side and place seam-side down on the worktop.
- Place the rolls close together in an ovenproof casserole dish.
- Pour in the heated meat broth until the sauerkraut rolls are just covered.
- Close with aluminum foil and cook in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 35 minutes.
- Remove aluminum foil and brush with melted butter just before serving.
Notes
Optional: I covered the casserole dish with bread crumbs that was stirred in a hot pan with butter
