17 Ways To Eat Bratwurst, All Year Long

We all love a good brat summer, but it would be a missed opportunity to think of bratwurst as only a summer-grilling phenomenon. When the temps get crisp, the possibilities for this sausage are just getting started. Bratwurst works so well simmered in your fall stews and soups and baked into crowd-pleasing appetizers. And it's king of game day, and, of course, features large in any kind of Oktoberfest celebration — so we might say that brat fall and brat winter make more sense!

Start with Michael Symon's take that lets two assertive flavors meld and mellow each other in the best way. Sausage pairs classically with kraut, the drippings of the former enriching the latter, and the liquid of the latter gently poaching the former. Not much else is needed, but some excellent mustard an a bun on which to enjoy will make an incredible lunch or dinner.

Another option for leftover bratwurst: Zhuzhing up your weekend brunch option. Chunks of bratwurst combine with sauteed red onion and apple, plus even a little bit of mustard, for a fluffy Dutch baby pancake that's sweet and savory and kinda makes you seem like you have things together even though it's only morning. Just pour the coffee and tuck in.

Jeff Mauro mashes up (not literally) two classics, brats and the reuben sandwich, in a serious "why didn't I think of that?" moment. (Because of the kraut! Doesn't it make sense?) But instead of slapping a slice of Swiss on top, he goes truly OTT by making a Swiss cheese sauce to slosh all over everything.

This dish calls to mind German sauerbraten, sausages served with kraut that's been marinated in red wine, dying it a deep garnet color. This dish uses acai berry juice for the color and apple cider vinegar to achieve that perfect balance of sweet and sour. It's homey and earthy and everything hearty.

Bratwurst and cabbage are not a new idea (even in the context of this gallery!) but this is such a smart way to go about it, suitable even for weeknight cooking. Coleslaw mix is the shortcut, as is cooking it, and the onions, in the drippings of the brats themselves. Apples go in at the last minute, for a one-skillet meal that satisfies so deeply.

Here we go a little farther afield, with a recipe that isn't instantly recognizeable as a brat dinner. It's a great way to use up leftover brats from your grill day, actually. Combined with lots of veggies and rice, it bakes up full of flavor.

Sunny Anderson had us at "mustard finishing drizzle." That is, the finishing touch for this dish inspired by the feasts she had at German Oktoberfests as a child. If you want to experience that season without getting out your passport, this scratches the itch.

This recipe is so simple you almost don't need it. But put these out on game day and — trust us, you need it. It's like a pig-in-a-blanket dressed up in a college sweatshirt. It's like Mike Ditka's dream come true. It's like — honestly, it's a brat in pastry. You need no poetry to consume this and love it.

This recipe from Sunny Anderson is sheer madness — and we want it, stat. It's literally a hamburger patty and bacon wrapped around a bratwurst and then griddled. You then eat it on a bun with some cheese and onion. It's good to know that this one is coming, because it seems like it should be a light breakfast, salad-for-lunch kind of day to prepare for all its glory.

Like any cassoulet, this has a long cook time, but in the realm of cassoulets, where the French have been known to bake this classic for days at a time, this is a decidedly express recipe. But it remains, as its name implies, as cozy as any multi-day version. It's a combination of meast simmering with very aromatic beans which get a beautiful textural variety from the baking, plus a crunchy, buttery breadcrumb topping that sets off all the salty meatiness below.

Once you've eaten this dinner, you'll wonder why you didn't see bratwurst's more elegant side before. As with all elegant things, it comes together easily. Just grill the bread at the same time as the brats, and cook up some quick soupy, lemony beans that will provide an ideal base for the brats that you will be swiping up with the bread.

Welsh rarebit, sometimes also called Welsh rabbit, contains no rabbit. It's often served on toasted bread and broiled, so that it converts into an irresistible cheese blanket. This version adds the brats, transforming a bar snack into a complete meal.

Kardea Brown's sumptuous sausage spread speaks to us with (beside a lot of alliteration) how a few simple but assertive ingredients can combine for an absolute feast. Here, those strong flavors are the brats, of course, but also caramelized onions, which contribute moisture and sweet-saltiness that eliminates the need for a lot of condiments; plus a spicy brown mustard and something that always gets us excited: Pretzel rolls.

We love a sheet-pan meal, and this one is genius. Cook the brats and Brussels together, as they naturally have that affinity for one another (remember? Brussels sprouts = cabbage family!). And then season some tots in a similar fashion and bake on another rack. This might even make Brussels sprout lovers of kids in the family, that whole delicious-by-association aura.

To experience a beer brat in the Midwest is to know a truly great American food. The sausages are simmered in beer first, here, fortified with spices and aromatics. They're then grilled to add the element of a char, which renders the skin tight and snappy, the inside juicy as heck. Here, you have the options of making a cheese sauce, sweet and sour onions and pepper relish to go with. This will make for an impressive spread. But if you want to scale back a bit, the classic is to put out kraut, raw chopped onions, mustards and horseradish. And a big pile of sliced watermelon on the side.

Get your potatoes and your kraut all in one, with these patties that combine them and taste just right alongside brats. A homemade mustard sour cream complements both. And so does a glass of beer, of course.