Ladle the sausage, cabbage, and potatoes into bowls, making sure each serving gets some of the flavorful broth from the bottom of the slow cooker. Serve hot.
Variations & Tips
This four-ingredient version is meant to be as simple and budget-friendly as my uncle always made it, but you can nudge it a little this way or that. If you have time in the morning, you can brown the sliced sausage in a skillet first to deepen the flavor and give it a bit more color before adding it to the slow cooker. For a slightly sweeter, more old-fashioned farmhouse taste, stir in a thinly sliced onion with the cabbage, or add a chopped apple on top of the potatoes—just know that will take you beyond the strict four-ingredient idea. You can also swap the chicken broth for beef broth for a heartier flavor, or use water and a bouillon cube if that’s what you have on hand. If you prefer, use red potatoes instead of yellow; they hold their shape nicely. Leftovers reheat well in a saucepan over low heat, and if the broth has thickened, just splash in a little extra water or broth to loosen it. A dash of cider vinegar or a spoonful of grainy mustard at the table is a very Midwestern way to brighten the bowl without changing the basic recipe
