Bratwurst Cabbage Casserole Is The German Dish You Need In Your Life

 
The bratwurst is a German staple, and while it may be thought of as just a regular sausage in other countries, there are actually more than 40 different kinds of bratwurst in Germany! Dating back to 1313, the bratwurst first appeared in Nuremberg (known as Nürnberg in German), which belongs to the Franconian region of the state of Bavaria. To this day, Nuremberg is still internationally renowned for its sausages, and one of the most popular types of bratwurst in Germany happens to be the Nürnberger Bratwurst (also known as the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, with "rost" meaning "grilled"). The small, thin pork sausages are similar in size and appearance to breakfast sausage links in the US or Lincolnshire sausages in the UK, but are typically seasoned with fresh marjoram, which gives them a distinctive taste. Pair some of those links with cabbage, potatoes, and cheese, and you're in for a true German treat!

You'll need:

For the white cabbage:

  • oil for frying
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 25 oz white cabbage, cut into strips
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin

For the cream cheese dressing:

  • 14 oz herb cream cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the potato purée:

  • 2 lbs boiled potatoes, peeled
  • 5 fl oz hot cream
  • 1½ oz soft butter
  • 1 tsp grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper

For the garnish:

  • oil for frying
  • 16 Nürnberger Bratwürstchen (or the sausage of your choice)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 5⅓ oz shredded mozzarella

Here's how:

1. First peel and boil your potatoes while you prepare the other ingredients. For the cabbage mixture, heat plenty of oil in a large pan and sauté the diced onion and carrots. Add the sliced cabbage and spices to the pan and gently mix everything. Cover the pan with a lid and let simmer 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the stove.

2. To make the cream cheese dressing, mix the cream cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley until you get a creamy liquid. Set aside and prepare the potato purée. Mash your boiled potatoes with a potato masher. Add the hot cream, butter, and spices to the potatoes while they are still hot. Mix everything together until a purée has formed.

3. Spread the mashed potatoes on the bottom of a heat-resistant casserole dish. Layer the cabbage mixture on top, and then pour the cream cheese dressing over the cabbage. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

4. Heat some oil in a pan and add the sausages. Cook until golden brown and add the fresh rosemary leaves. Then place the sausages one after another on top of the cheese in the casserole dish.

5. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes at 360°F.

Who would have thought that such a delicious casserole could come from combining so many different ingredients? Try this recipe with different kinds of meat sausages, such as hot dogs, cocktail weenies, beef sticks, cheese brats, sausage links, or kielbasa, and see which you like best!

Comments

Also hefty