A lot of my friends get excited when they hear the word Oktoberfest. To them it means good German food and plenty of beer. Since I am not a beer drinker I’m not usually excited about this. Sure I like German food just fine but during Oktoberfest so much of it has beer in it and really, it’s all about the beer.
This year we were invited to an Oktoberfest party. In fact, it was last night and it was really fun! While I didn’t partake in the beer tastings, I still had fun. My husband seemed to enjoy the beer tasting portion and I’m glad we decided to go. It was more of a gathering of friends then anything else so it was a good time.
So what is Oktoberfest? I looked it up to see what it actually is because that’s the theme of this weeks Sunday Supper. It turns out Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest which means beer festival and traveling fun fair. It’s a 16-18 day festival held in Germany where large quantities of Oktoberfest beer are consumed along with amusement rides, vendors, and games. Oktoberfest sounds like it would be a lot of fun.
So in order to celebrate Oktoberfest I decided to make Oktoberfest Potatoes. My brother and sister in law came to visit last weekend and since they both enjoy beer I thought they’d love these potatoes. They are pretty much everything I think of when I think of Oktoberfest….beer, cheese, brats, and potatoes.
This recipe is easy to make but it makes a ton of potatoes! If you are making it for a normal family dinner I’d cut the recipe in half. If you are making it for an actual Oktoberfest party this will be the perfect side dish because it will feed a crowd!
The great thing about this recipe is that most of the work takes place well before the potatoes are finished. So if you are having company all of the work will be done by the time they get there. The potatoes need to be in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours so there is plenty of time to relax with your guests before they are finished. One word of advice, I put mine in for 1 1/2 hours but I wish I had gone for 2 hours because one layer of the potatoes weren’t entirely cooked. Error on the side of more time with these!
The potatoes were pretty awesome. My brother said he liked the beer and cheese flavor. There was a lot of brats in them as well. It was actually a pretty tasty side dish and one that I ate for several days. It went well with the steaks we enjoyed with them but it would have been perfect served with sausage sandwiches too.
- 3 lb. potatoes, thinly sliced
- ½ lb. bratwurst, removed from casing
- 3 T. butter
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T. flour
- 2 c. milk
- 1½ c. Oktoberfest beer
- 2 T. Dijon mustard
- 2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook the bratwurst in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet and melt over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter and melt. Add in the flour and stir until it begins to brown.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add in the milk, beer, and mustard. Stir until well combined. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir over medium low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in the bratwurst and remove from heat.
- Layer half of the potatoes int the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour half of the cheese and beer mixture over top of the potatoes.
- Layer with the remaining potatoes and then pour the remaining cheese and beer mixture over top of the potatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove foil and continue cooking for 30 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are cooked through.
Appetizers (Vorspeisen)
- German Pancake Soup (Flädlesuppe) by Caroline’s Cooking
- German Potato Pancakes by The Crumby Cupcake
- Homemade Pretzels with Kids by Hardly A Goddess
- Kräuterbutter (German Herb Butter) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Latke and Sauerbraten Poutine by Monica’s Table
- Obatzda – Bavarian Cheese Spread by Sunday Supper Movement
- Pork Schnitzel Meatballs by Casa de Crews
- Warsteiner Fondue by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Breakfast (Frühstück)
- German Apple Pancake by The Chef Next Door
- Peach Fritters by Pies and Plots
Condiments (Würze)
- Pickled Red Onions by What Smells So Good?
- Spicy Beer Mustard by Food Lust People Love
Dessert (Nachtisch)
- Apple Tart by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Kaiserschmarrn Recipe by Plated Cravings
- Nana’s Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Rote Grütze (Fruit Pudding) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Schnecken (Sticky German Cinnamon Buns) by Seduction in the Kitchen
Main Dish (Hauptgericht)
- Bavarian Sausage & Cabbage Soup by Food Done Light
- Beef Goulash Recipe by Positively Stacey
- Beer Mac and Cheese by Moore or Less Cooking
- Berlin Potato Soup by My Imperfect Kitchen
- Bierocks by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession
- Bratwurst Sheet Pan Dinner by A Mind Full Mom
- Burgers with Bacon-Sauerkraut Jam by Palatable Pastime
- How to Make Traditional German Sauerbraten by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Oktoberfest Beer Brats by Wholistic Woman
- Oktoberfest Chicken Chili by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Oktoberfest Fondue 3 Ways by Momma’s Meals
- Pierogie Casserole by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Pork chops with Sauerkraut and Apples by Brunch-n-Bites
- Roasted Apple & Beer Chili For Oktoberfest by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Kebobs w/ a Boiled Cider Drizzle by The Freshman Cook
- Schwenkbraten (Grilled German Pork Chops) by Curious Cuisiniere
Side Dish (Beigabe)
- German Potato Salad by Tramplingrose
- Ginger Beer Sauerkraut by Cricket’s Confections
- Herbed Spaetzle by The Hungry Goddess
- Krautsalat (German Coleslaw) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Oktoberfest Potatoes by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board
Liz says
Beer, brats and potatoes all in one! This dish looks so yummy!