Description
Fully cooked cocktail sausages in a fruity apple-cranberry barbecue sauce, with an optional saucepan reduction for a sticky finish.
Servings: 10–12 appetizer portions
Prep: 10 minutes
Slow cook: Approximately 2–3 hours on LOW or 1–1½ hours on HIGH
Optional reduction: Approximately 5–15 minutes
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 packages fully cooked cocktail sausages, 14 ounces each, thawed and drained
- 1 cup Dr Pepper
- ½ cup apple butter
- ½ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, optional, adjusted to taste
Instructions
- Prepare a slow cooker suitable for the batch size.
- Whisk soda, apple butter, cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic powder, and optional pepper flakes.
- Combine with sausages in the cooker and stir.
- Cover and cook until thoroughly heated according to the sausage package, approximately 2–3 hours on LOW or 1–1½ hours on HIGH. Adjust time as necessary.
- For a thicker glaze, remove sausages temporarily and simmer the sauce in a saucepan, stirring frequently. Return sausages to warm and coat.
- Taste and add optional vinegar gradually. Serve hot or hold at 140°F or above.
Storage: Refrigerate promptly and use within 3–4 days. Freeze for up to 2 months for quality. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Little tip: Apple butter adds body, but a full cup of soda still brings considerable liquid. Reduce the sauce separately when you want a glaze that clings.