Spare Spoons Kitchen
Aunt Betty’s Comfort Kitchen · Entertaining

Little Smokies

The slow-cooker party staple — little smoked sausages simmered in a glossy sweet-tangy glaze of Russian dressing, apricot preserves, and onion soup mix. Make ahead, keep warm, watch them vanish.

~30 min + chill total 5 min prep 20 min heat
Effort ●○○○ Time ●●○○ Anytime
Servingsamounts scale to match
8
Units

Ingredients

Simmer the sauce first, then let it sit. Bringing the dressing, preserves, and soup mix to a boil melts them into a glossy sweet-tangy glaze; making it ahead and reheating lets the sausages soak up the flavor. A slow cooker on "warm" is the easiest way to serve them through a party.

Easier, if you like

  • The slow cooker does it all: dump the sausages, dressing, preserves, and soup mix in, cook on low 2–3 hours, stir, and serve from the crock.
  • It's already a dump-and-heat recipe — make the sauce days ahead; it keeps.

Method

    Cook's notes

    The three-ingredient cocktail sauce (plus the sausages) is endlessly riffable — grape jelly + chili sauce, or barbecue sauce + brown sugar, are the other classic combos.

    Make it ahead. The sausages taste best after sitting in the sauce; refrigerate, then reheat to serve.

    A small slow cooker is the party MVP — combine everything and cook on low 2–3 hours, then hold on "warm."

    Honey Russian dressing adds a little extra sweetness; regular Russian or Catalina works too.

    Make it gluten-free or vegetarian

    Gluten-free: use gluten-free cocktail sausages, a gluten-free Russian dressing, and a gluten-free onion soup mix (or a DIY onion blend).

    Vegetarian: plant-based cocktail sausages work in the same sweet-tangy sauce.