Name: The Easy Appetizer I Make Every Game Day
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 bottle lager or pilsner beer (or NA beer if avoiding alcohol), optional; 2 thin slices yellow onion, optional; 2 (19-ounce) packages fresh bratwurst; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 18 King’s Hawaiian sweet slider buns or pretzel slider buns; 1 cup whole grain mustard; 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided; 1 heaping cup well-drained sauerkraut

1 If you’d like to hold any of the cooked brat patties before serving, pour enough beer into a slow cooker to achieve a depth of about half an inch (about half a bottle of beer for a small 3-quart slow cooker) and add the onion slices. Cover and cook on high until the beer is hot to the touch, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to “keep warm.”

2 Use a paring knife, cut down the length of each bratwurst, then peel off the casings and discard. Divide the meat into 18 equal portions (a little more than 1/2 sausage each) and form into thin patties that are about 3 1/4 inches wide. Season with freshly ground pepper. Store in the fridge until ready to cook.

3 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4 While the oven preheats, separate the tops and bottoms of the slider buns and arrange the halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake until they are golden brown and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Spread the bottoms of the toasted buns with a scant tablespoon of mustard each. Set aside in a warm place.

5 Heat 2 large cast iron skillets or sauté pans over medium heat until they are hot, about 5 minutes. (If you only have one large pan, cook in batches.) Add 1 tablespoon of oil to each pan and swirl to coat. Add the brat patties and cook without moving them until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until the meat is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

6 If holding the cooked patties, transfer them to the prepared slow cooker (it’s fine to stack them), cover, and hold on “keep warm” for up to 1 hour. When ready to serve, put the brat patties on the prepared bottom buns and top with sauerkraut and the top buns. Serve immediately. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a review below!