Pairing Sweet BBQ Baked Beans with Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut, topping it with potato tots and kielbasa for The perfect game-day or weeknight casserole!
Even though it’s still 100+ in the temps, in my mind I’m channeling all things fall (except pumpkin spice). Sorry, but that’s not allowed until October in my world. No, my thoughts are if football is on, then it’s fall!
The Perfect Fall Casserole
This dish is similar to what my Mom made for us kids growing up. I’m sure most folks grew up on beans and weenies. It was cheap, delicious, and fed a crowd. Mom would amp hers up with baby potatoes. Sometimes she’d make this for breakfast and put a dippy egg over top for a bit more sauce.
When the folks from Frank’s Kraut came out with a new sauerkraut, Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut, I immediately thought of this dish!
Grab Your Ingredients
You only need a few staple ingredients. Right now, you can only get that specific sauerkraut flavor (trust me, IT’S THE SECRET TO THIS DISH!) on their website and I believe at Hy-Vee stores.
- Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut
- Baked Beans
- BBQ Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Potato Tots
- Kielbasa
Assemble The Casserole
Make sure to watch the video to see how easily this comes together!
This is pretty straightforward to assemble.
- Mix together all of the ingredients except the tots and kielbasa in a large bowl. Pour that into a casserole dish.
- Place the tots on top leaving about a 1/4-1/2″ space in between. Place the sliced kielbasa rounds between each tot.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and the tots are crispy. If needed, use heat-safe tongs and turn the kielbasa rings halfway through baking to prevent burning,
The Hardest Part…Waiting
Trust me, I get it. Waiting is the worst when you’re smelling something truly amazing AND you NEED to in your belly ASAP!
But coming from someone who has repeatedly burnt the inside of her mouth on more than one occasion (and regretted not waiting each time), trust me … wait the 15 minutes or so to let it stop from being super hot.
Ways To Serve This Casserole
So as I mentioned above Mom would serve it with or without an egg on top. I’ve served this a few ways and honestly, they all are delicious!
- Corn Bread Bowl – bake up some cornbread (cheese or not) and place a slice of warmed cornbread in the bottom of the bowl. Add a scoop or two of the casserole on top and dig in!
- Eggs – You can serve this over scrambled eggs or spoon some into a bowl and add a dippy egg on top.
- Over Toast – grill up some Garlic Butter Texas Toast and spoon some of this on top
- As-Is – seriously, this is truly incredible as a main dish!
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
Before you ask, YES you need to use this specific sauerkraut. It has such an amazing flavor and is different than their traditional (and my favorite) sauerkraut.
- Meats – instead of kielbasa, you can add little smokies, hot dogs, alternative meat, or plant-based smoked kielbasa/sausages. Just make sure they are cooked first
- Tots – you can use other types of potatoes or veggie tots if you wish. I’ve not tried fries but have at it!
- Cheese – Cheddar is awesome with this. Add the cheddar to the last 10-15 minutes of baking
Grill And Smoker Instructions
- Preheat the grill or smoker to 375, indirect heat.
- Prepare as directed place on the smoker/grill and cook until the baked beans are bubbling, the tots are crispy and the kielbasa has some char to it.
The Ultimate Fall & Football Casserole
Pairing Sweet BBQ Baked Beans with Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut, topping it with potato tots and kielbasa for The perfect game-day or weeknight casserole!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutse
- Category: comfort food, football food, tailgating, casserole, fall foods, one pan meals
- Method: oven, grill, smoker
- Cuisine: comfort food, football food, tailgating, casserole, fall foods, one pan meals
Ingredients
- 28oz can Baked Beans
- 1 1/4 cups Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut, drained
- OPTIONAL additional 1/3 cups Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauerkraut, drained
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- Potato Tots, 10-14 ounce bag
- 1 14 oz package of kielbasa, cut into 1/4” rounds (you’ll have extra)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix the beans, sauerkraut, BBQ sauce, & brown sugar. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
- Place the tots on top of the mixture leaving enough space between them to add a ring of kielbasa.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and the tots are crispy. If needed, use heat-safe tongs and turn the kielbasa rings halfway through baking to prevent burning, If you want, about 15 minutes before the casserole is done, take the remaining 1/3 cup sauerkraut and nestle it on top. It will slightly crisp up the kraut and elevate the dish’s flavor! This is completely optional!
- Serve with cornbread or biscuits.
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