Description
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Sauce warming: 3–5 minutes once simmering
Slow cooking: 2–3 hours on LOW or 1–1 1/2 hours on HIGH
Servings: 10–12 appetizer portions
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 packages (14 ounces each) fully cooked cocktail sausages
- 1 cup Dr Pepper
- 1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup cherry preserves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional
- 2 tablespoons drained, finely chopped maraschino cherries, optional
Instructions
- Drain the sausages and keep refrigerated while preparing the sauce.
- Combine all ingredients except sausages and optional chopped cherries in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, then simmer 3–5 minutes to blend.
- Place sausages in an appropriately sized slow cooker. Add sauce, stir, and cover.
- Cook approximately 2–3 hours on LOW or 1–1 1/2 hours on HIGH, until thoroughly heated according to the sausage package instructions.
- If needed, reduce sauce separately in a saucepan until it coats a spoon, then return to the hot sausages.
- Add optional chopped cherries during the final 10 minutes. Taste and adjust tang if desired.
- Serve warm. Hold fully heated food at 140°F or above, checking the actual temperature.
Storage: Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 2 months for quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat leftovers to 165°F before serving or hot holding.