New Year Casserole (Nova Godina Tepsija)

My 3rd cousin on my mother's side, Mirko (Mel) Utvich from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, had a restaurant as I recall and he always made this dish for New Years Day and passed down the recipe to the rest of the family. It is simple to make and you use a slow cooker/crockpot to make it. Serve it with mashed potatoes for a complete meal. He got it from his Slovenian wife's mother.

1 pound (4-6) small, thin sliced fat trimmed boneless pork chops
1 pound skinless kielbasa cut into coin slices
1 package all-beef weiners sliced into coins
1 large can or jar sauerkraut drained and rinsed
1 large onion sliced thin
1 large jar or can apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup white sugar
salt and pepper to taste

First, sauté the pork chops in 2 tablespoons olive oil or in a large pan coated with cooking spray until lightly brown. Transfer to a slow cooker. Put the onion on top of the pork chops, then add some of the sauerkraut (not all of it) just to cover the chops. This is going to make layers like lasagna. Spoon some apple sauce over the sauerkraut. Add a little of the seasonings: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and white sugar. Add the kielbasa and weiners at this stage. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut, apple sauce, and seasonings. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook on low 4-6 hours stirring occasionally. If the liquid seems to disappear, add a little more water. You know it is ready when the pork chops fall apart and the sauerkraut is a nice golden color. Most of the water should have disappeared by now again. Just before serving, taste and add the salt and pepper. Sometimes no salt is needed because of the sauerkraut. 

NOTE: This is not just for New Years and you can serve this anytime. It is great for a pot luck dinner or supper and served with mashed potatoes and some sort of vegetable, peas, broccoli, green beans, or Brussel Sprouts. Also, as a time saver, you can take a small bowl and mix the seasonings, applesauce, and sugars together and after layering the meats and sauerkraut at one time, pour this over them and stir. Then cook accordingly. Let settle and cool 10-15 minutes before serving.