Easy Bratwurst with Potatoes and Sauerkraut

I love easy dinners and this one is a super easy throw together on a busy weekday night. With minimal prep and one skillet nature, this easy Bratwurst with Potatoes and Sauerkraut is a tasty twist to the weeknight menu.

I know you all have had a week like me this past week where everything you do takes longer than expected. You can’t seem to get out of bed in the morning, and by dinner time you are not in the mood to cook. That has been my week this past week. I have been a little off, which is why this post is a little later than it should be.

I had the worst time committing to writing this week! And really committing to anything haha. I think it is the amount of pollen in the air as Virginia hits blooming season. No amount of allergy medicine can stave of the ginormous amount of seasonal allergies my family suffers from. Never the less… I am here today to introduce you all to one of my favorite dinners for those nights that you don’t want to cook or do the dishes. Easy German bratwurst with potatoes and sauerkraut!

My Love of German Food

German food is one of my favorites. Laced with strong fermented flavors, bright acidic notes, and rich fats, German food is a go to comfort food for me.

I have never been to Germany and honestly couldn’t tell you the first time I realized how much I love the cuisine, but as an adult, items like Bratwursts and sauerkraut have become a regular part of my diet.

German food sometimes gets a bad rap due to the lack of variety the German menu has had throughout the centuries, but I think that is what makes it special and unique. German cuisine has been perfected by focusing on the items that are readily available and by taking flavor cues from Italy and France to make it their own.

One of my family’s favorite German foods is the Bratwurst. This perfectly spiced and marbled sausage is a must have in our freezer at all times!

What is the difference between Bratwurst and Sausage?

All bratwurst are sausage, but not all sausage are bratwurst! Bratwurst are a form of German sausage. The word bratwurst breaks down into “brat” for chopped or ground meat and “wurst” for sausage.

This multipurpose German sausage is typically made with pork and spices such as mace, marjoram, coriander and cardamom. These spices, while varying slightly between regions of Germany, give the brat its authentic German flavor.

Want to learn how to make bratwurst as home? Check out this recipe from the Daring Gourmet!

While the brat is the star of our dish today, there are two other very important key players. One of which is sauerkraut.

What is Sauerkraut

I did not know what the love of food was until I ate sauerkraut. The slightly stinky tang of fermented cabbage is one of my all time favorites.

Weird huh?….

I am a cabbage lover in general. I could, much to the chagrin of my family, eat cabbage at least three to four nights a week. Unfortunately they do not share the same love of the vegetable as I do, so I am lucky to get it once in a while.

I have historically purchased sauerkraut from the store, but this past growing season I decided to try my hand at growing cabbages. Much to my delight these gloriously delicious globes thrived in our garden. So what do you do when you have an abundance of cabbage? You ferment it of course!

It was such a rewarding experience and one that we will be doing again this coming harvest year!

What kind of Sauerkraut is the best

There are really three kinds of sauerkraut that can be used. You can purchase canned from the store, refrigerated from the store, or make your own.

Obliviously, I believe that homemade sauerkraut is the best flavor wise. You really control how much fermentation you like and the quality of the ingredients. For us, we kept it simple with just cabbage and salt. That is it!

We also did not can our kraut, but instead refrigerated it after it reached fermentation. This is because when you apply heat to your fermented goods you keep the flavor, but not all the wonderful nutrients that fermentation gives you.

So if I had to choose… Homemade sauerkraut would be my choice for this dish. Followed by your favorite store bought refrigerated brand and lastly the canned versions that are readily available at the store.

What kind of Potatoes should I use for Bratwurst with Potatoes and Sauerkraut?

I love potatoes. Any potato. So this dish truly combines all the things that I love. When choosing a potato for this dish, I recommend something with a thinner skin and buttery texture. We will not be peeling the potatoes. For me I really love a red potato or golden Yukon.

I have used other types like russet potatoes and they do fine, but I prefer the texture and flavor of either the red or golden.

How to make Bratwurst with potatoes and sauerkraut

Ya’ll are going to love how easy this recipe is. You do have to let it cook together for a while, so be patient because you want your flavors to meld, but you will have to do minimal work with it.

Step one

To get started, you will need to heat a large cast iron skillet with a little bacon grease over medium heat. Add in your sausages and cook covered. I always do 10 because we love the leftovers, but this dish is easily adaptable to smaller or larger family sizes.

You are going to let the bratwursts brown on one side for about 10 minutes.

Step two

Meanwhile, wash and thinly slice your potatoes into 1/4 inch thick medallions. You don’t want the potatoes so thick that they take forever to cook or too thin that they just break apart on you.

Flip the sausages and cook for another 10 minutes.

Step three

When evenly brown, pull the sausages and put on a plate to wait for further instruction. Add a little more bacon grease to the pan and add in potatoes. I also add in some onion if I have it on hand. Salt and pepper to taste.

I typically plan for 2 to 3 small potatoes per person depending on the size of the potato.

Allow these to cook covered over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Do not flip them too much, if they start to get too brown adjust the temperature.

Step 4

Give your potatoes one final flip and add the sausages on top. Cover with sauerkraut. Place the lid back on and allow to cook for about 10 minutes until the sausages are perfectly cooked through and all the flavors are married.

Serve up with hot sauce!

Our other favorite dinner recipes

We know that sometimes dinner is the last thing you want to think about. That is why we want to make planning your dinner easier.

Check out some of our favorite weeknight dinner recipes right here on the blog or follow us on Pinterest for some tasty inspiration!

Here are some of our favorites!

• Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole
• Stuffed Baked Potatoes
• Throw Together Refrigerator Soup
• Black Eyed Peas in the Ninja Foodi
• Other Dinner Ideas

We hope you love these ideas and find your weeknight dinner inspiration. Leave us a comment below to let us know your favorite weeknight dinner!

Easy Bratwurst with Potatoes and Sauerkraut

Spice up your weeknight dinner menu with this one skillet easy German meal!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine German

Ingredients

  

• Bratwurst
• Sliced Golden Potatoes 2 to 3 small per person
• 2-3 Cups Sauerkraut

Instructions

 

• In large skillet melt bacon grease and brown sausages over medium heat, covered, on both sides
• When almost fully cooked through, remove sausages to a plate. Add additional bacon grease to pan and let it melt.
• Add potatoes (and onions if desired) to skillet and allow to brown. Turn only minimally. Cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
• Add sausage on top of potatoes and then add sauerkraut. Cover and cook on medium low until sausages are fully cooked and sauerkraut is heated.

Keyword Bratwurst, easy, German, One Skillet, Sauerkraut

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