Crockpot Haluski Recipe

We will show you how to make Haluski if you have heard of it or tried it at your local favorite restaurant. One of our favorite comfort food cabbage recipes we don’t wait until the holidays to make. Just prep all the ingredients and it can be made a few different ways. We will explain them all below. (affiliate links present)

Kielbasa and Cabbage in Slow Cooker

We will talk about a few different ways you can make this popular dish. In the recipe card below will discuss slow cooking. If you don’t have time for that you can use your pressure cooker, we love that thing. That is right, Instant Pot Haluski is totally possible using high pressure with all the same ingredients.

If you want to use a Dutch Oven or large skillet over medium heat with a lid you can do that too but for this method it doesn’t take too long. You really just want the leaves to wilt as much as you would like, and the meat to get tender.

Ingredient Notes

No matter whether you cook it quickly or low and slow as we will explain to you below, the main ingredients remain the same. Cabbage and egg noodles are the base.

Beyond that you can add others if you would like. Because we are using precooked kielbasa that is already seasoned not much else is necessary really.

You will want some butter to make the coating of everything to be creamy and delicious. Salt and pepper, just a pinch is added typically.

This will further accentuate the flavors of the overall dish. Other than that you would follow the same directions in our stewed cabbage recipe. Once the leaves are cooked down with the meat and seasonings you would fold together the drained al dente noodles together. Taste, re-season if desired and serve!

Variations and Substitutions

You can of course leave the meat out entirely like we did with our Crockpot cabbage recipe. That to me would be more of a side dish, if I’m making this as a one pot meal I will add a protein to amp it up. Any sort of precooked diced meat works really.

Other options to include into the mix are many. You can add onions like we did but if you are not into that then just leave them out. Traditional haluski made in Eastern European countries such as Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine don’t have any meat at all. In the U.S. as it has been recreated over time you often times find Polish sausage slices

Smoked sausage is wonderful too if you prefer that flavor overall. I will often times make this dish after we cook outdoors and have links left over. I hate wasting food so it’s a great choice to use it all up. Celery or caraway seeds are other seasonings you may find in other varieties too.

How Long to Cook Haluski in Slow Cooker (Cabbage and Noodles)

There is a range depending on how soft you want the noodles and cabbage. I feel like 5-6 hours is usually perfect myself but decide for yourself when you make it the first time. Test at hour 5 and cook an extra 30 minutes and test at that time.

Tips

Now when prepping the ingredients, size matters. This is how to cut cabbage leaves, the larger the pieces the longer it will take to wilt. This goes for the meat too. You need it to be cooked ahead of time but want it to warm up and leach out to flavor the otherwise bland veggies.

You want to use a sharp knife to cut cabbage, onion, and sausage. Add all other ingredients with pats of butter on top of cabbage mixture. Cover and cook on low. Just before serving, cook noodles according to package instructions until a bit more than al dente. Drain and gently fold noodles into cabbage mixture.

What is the difference between Polish and Slovak Haluski?

Polish style is typically made with egg noodles or wide pasta combined with cabbage and onions sautéed in butter. Sometimes it includes bacon or kielbasa for added flavor. Slovak style is typically made with potato dumplings (similar to palt) instead of noodles. They are created by grating raw potatoes, mixing them with flour, and boiling them.

It is quite popular there but has spread to other states and now can be found all over! You may have a hard time finding it in restaurants that don’t serve Polish or Hungarian dishes but now you can make this homemade Haluski recipe here.

Typically what you will find in this Ukrainian dish is cabbage and noodles. Common variations would include slices of kielbasa sausage but not always. Some minced garlic, salt and pepper work well to enhance the flavors of the dish.

How to store leftovers

How to store leftover cabbage and noodles is the next question of the day right? Like I said, I do not waste food around here. When I just cook a whole cabbage in Crockpot it really does not save well at all. I just say to enjoy it later that day in another meal if you can. In this one though with the other items I will warm next day for lunch.

I will transfer into a microwave safe bowl, add a pat of salted butter to the top and heat for 45 seconds or so. Adding a bit of moisture to the dish will make it better and butter is always better. 😉