Brats ‘n’ Beer

Brats 'n' Beer

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Grill, Charcoal or Gas

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can beer, not dark beer, (12 oz / 330 ml)
  • 4 bratwurst, (about 500 g / 1 lb), Shortcut
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 sausage rolls, or hot dog buns

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your grill for direct heat cooking on medium heat.
  • Pour the beer into a medium size saucepan with heatproof handle. Place the saucepan on the grill and pierce each brat with a knife and add to the beer. Simmer brats for 15 minutes, turning them once.
  • While the brats are simmering, thinly slice the onion and separate into rings.
  • Place the onion rings on a sheet of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
  • Fold the foil over the rings to make a closed packet, place packet on the grill and grill for 10 minutes or until they are tender.
  • Transfer the brats to the grill, remove saucepan and discard the beer. Grill brats for 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through, turning once.
  • Place brats in the rolls and top with the onion rings. Enjoy.

Notes

Store bought brats are fair cost, but if you make them yourself, this is then a low cost per serving dish.
Shortcut: Bratwurst.
Kielbasa Lazy Pierogi

Kielbasa Lazy Pierogi

Just a Pinch Recipe Club - Nor Mac, United States.
I made this on 12 Jun 2020 exactly as written and went with 1¾ lb kielbasa. The family loved this, it is easy to put together and delicious.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams sour kraut, rinsed and drained well, (1 lb)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons butter, for cooking the onion
  • ½-1 kilo Kielbasa sausage, (1-2 lb)
  • 500 grams dry egg noodles, (1 lb)
  • ¼ cup butter, softened, (½ stick, ¼ block)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • black pepper, as desired
  • cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1-2 pinches poppy seeds

Instructions
 

  • Drain and rinse the sour kraut well, set aside.
  • Heat a non stick pan and melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter, when hot, add the onion. Saute the onion, adding butter as needed, until the onion is softened and turning golden brown. Set the cooked onion aside.
  • While the onion is cooking, add the whole sausage to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sausage is heated through, about 5-10 minutes after the water starts boiling.
  • Place the sausage on a cutting board, slice into coins about ½ inch thick, then cut each slice in half.
  • Using the same or another pot, add enough water to cook the egg noodles, lightly salt and bring to a boil, when boiling, add the egg noodles and cook until tender. Drain water from the pot leaving the noodles in the pot.
  • Add the ¼ cup butter and mix in until melted, then stir in the Parmesan, onions, salt, pepper as desired, and a pinch or two of poppy seeds.
  • Drain the sour kraut again, gently squeeze out any water. Add the sour kraut and sausage to the egg noodles. Place on low heat and mix together. Stir often and heat through.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost in the US, I will have to research this in Thailand for the sausage and sour kraut.
Variant: 1. For a milder sour kraut, soak the kraut in 2-3 cups water and 1/4 cup brown sugar for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and drain well.
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Biscuit Pigs in Blankets

Biscuit Pigs in Blankets

Lee
I come across this when researching what to make with store bought biscuits in a tube, and I made these, and they are actually pretty tasty and a different way to prepare Pigs in Blankets. When I return to Thailand, I will prepare these again in Thailand with homemade biscuits. No servings or measurements given, this is just a make with what you want guide.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet

Ingredients
  

  • biscuit dough, tubed or homemade
  • smoked sausage links, hot dogs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your according to the packaged biscuits or per your own biscuit recipe. Get out a baking sheet and line with foil or parchment paper for fast cleanup.
  • For tubed biscuits, open and remove the biscuits. Lay a biscuit on the counter, flatten down with your fingers, shaping the dough about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Place a sausage link or hot dog (I used cheese filled smoked sausage links) on a narrow end of the dough and roll the dough around it, ending with the end of the dough on the bottom. Place on your baking sheet. Repeat as desired.
  • For homemade biscuits, roll the dough out and cut into triangles, place a sausage link or hot dog on a narrow end of the dough and roll the dough around it, ending with the end of the dough on the bottom. Place on your baking sheet. Repeat as desired.
  • Bake until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Pigs in Blankets

Pigs in Blankets

Joann Thayer, United States.
This is a recipe from my childhood, first being mentioned in a Betty Crocker cookbook in the 60's using packaged crescent rolls. When I was little, my Mom simply used hot dogs with the crescent rolls, now days there is many options for the sausage. This is just a guide and can be made in as many ways as there is types of sausage. Have fun and enjoy.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tube crescent rolls
  • 8 hot dogs, or sausage of your choice
  • dipping sauces of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F) or according to the crescent tube instructions. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  • Open the crescent rolls and separate into the 8 triangles. Lay a hot dog/sausage on the wide end of a triangle of dough. Roll the hot dog in the dough and place the roll on the baking sheet with the pointy end of the roll on the bottom. Repeat until all the hot dogs are rolled. I used cheese filled smoked sausages.
  • When the rolls are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, remove from the oven, place on a serving plate, enjoy with dipping sauce of your choice.

Notes

For the US, these are certainly low cost per serving, for Thailand, I have never seen the crescent rolls in tubes although I have made crescent rolls from scratch so I have included that recipe here for those that would like to make those.
Shortcut: Crescent Rolls (Bread Machine).
My Mom and I have made these for years.
Smoked Sausage & Veggies

Smoked Sausage & Veggies

Adapted from a 1986 recipe booklet.
This is a basic recipe that can be tailored as you like.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package smoked sausage, (12 oz / 340 g)
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 250 grams snow pea pods, stems removed, (8 oz)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons cold water

Instructions
 

  • Slice the sausage at an angle into about ½ inch or slightly thinner slices. Prep the onion, bell pepper, and pea pods.
  • Add ¾ cup water to a large non stick pan on medium heat and when hot, add the sausage. Cover and cook until the sausage is hot and heated through.
  • Add the onion, bell pepper, pea pods, and ginger, and mix together. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender yet crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Mix together the cornstarch and the 2 teaspoons of cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry and soy sauce into the pan. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens.
  • Serve over hot cooked rice, egg noodles, or pasta of your choice. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Smoked Sausage & Peppers

Smoked Sausage & Peppers

Lee
This is my very basic recipe for the common dish called Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. I make this as a side with pasta dishes, and typically the Sausage, Peppers, and Onions dish is a main dish. No quantities are given here, just use what you want. And this could not be easier, just smoked sausage and peppers, let the sausage season the peppers.
Course Side
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • smoked sausage, sliced at a bias
  • bell peppers, your choice of color, sliced into strips

Instructions
 

  • Prep the bell peppers and sausage. For this I used 2 yellow, 1 orange, and 1 green. For the smoked sausage, I used two 340 g / 12 oz packages.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the sausage and pepper and stir together.
  • Cook, stirring once in a while until the peppers are softened and tender and the sausage heated through.
  • Serve as a side dish.

Notes

Variation of a common dish, Sausage, Peppers, and Onions.
Sausage Stuffed Shells

Sausage Stuffed Shells

Adapted from a smoked sausage recipe book from 1986.
This was a new recipe for me to prepare as I have never used jumbo pasta shells. This is a simple recipe that is delicious! Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 22 jumbo pasta shells
  • 400 grams smoked sausage, diced, (14 oz)
  • 750 grams Ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese, (1½ lb), Shortcut
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley, or 2 cups fresh, chopped
  • cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, (6 oz / 170 g)
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 cups spaghetti sauce, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling then add the pasta shells and cook until just tender. Drain.
  • While the pasta is cooking, dice the sausage. Dicing the sausage probably takes the longest time. (The sausage I used was Hillshire Farms that weighed in at 14 oz / about 400 g. The photo shows the type of sausage used and the amount of diced sausage from one link.)
  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and get out a 9x13 baking pan.
  • Add the ricotta or cottage cheese to a mixing bowl, crack in the egg and mix together. Add the basil, oregano, and parsley and mix that in. Then add the Mozzarella and Parmesan and mix that in.
  • Now add the diced sausage to the cheese mixture and mix that in.
  • Add ¾ cup of the spaghetti sauce to the 9x13 baking dish and spread that evenly over the bottom (tilting and shaking the pan works great). Take a drained pasta shell and fill using about 1½ heaping teaspoons of the filling, place the filled shells in the pan.
  • Repeat filling the shells and placing in the dish in order. I could have easily put in 21 shells, 3 rows of 7, but miscounted and I had one break, so the lower left corner I just put the broken shell and excess filling. 22 shells are stated in the ingredients, this is to allow for one breaking during cooking, and if it does not, just go ahead and squeeze that one into one of the rows.
  • Take the remaining spaghetti sauce and pour that over the middle of the shells. Bake for 35 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and place on the table in the pan and serve family style.
  • Spoon onto plates and enjoy with sides of your choice.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Cottage Cheese, Spaghetti Sauce.
Sausage & Summer Squash

Sausage & Summer Squash

Lee
For this recipe, which is more of a guide, I used Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage and Kielbasa and yellow summer squash.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 small yellow squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick or a bit thinner
  • 1 package smoked sausage, sliced about ¼ inch thick, (400 g / 14 oz)
  • 1 package Kielbasa sausage, sliced about ¼ inch thick, (340 g / 12 oz)
  • ½ onion, diced
  • extra light olive oil, as needed
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Here is 4 of the 6 squash I used, these would be medium sized.
  • Heat a non stick pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, when hot, add the onion and squash. Turn the sausage often, and season with salt and pepper as desired. The squash will release water and will cook down.
  • Slice the sausage then heat a non stick pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage. Turn the sausage often until starting to brown, you are basically heating it through as it is already cooked.
  • Turn the squash as it cooks down, and let the water cook off as well.
  • When the water is cooked off from the squash, add the sausage to the squash and turn to mix together. Season with black pepper and salt as desired.
  • Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.

Notes

It cost me $2.78 for the smoked sausage and $2.78 for the kielbasa. I think I paid $2 for the squash. For 6 servings, this is about $1.26 per serving.
My parents cooked this many times when I was growing up, I just thought combining them would be good and it was. 
Bratwurst

Bratwurst

Adapted from an internet recipe.
In my never ending quest of learning to make different types of sausage, this worked out very nice, with excellent sausages. This would be perfect paired with some homemade sauerkraut.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 5 lbs bratwurst

Equipment

  • Meat Grinder
  • Hog Casings

Ingredients
  

  • kilo pork butt, (3 lb)
  • 1 kilo beef, lean, (2 lb)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup beer
  • teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 5 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork and beef into 2 inch cubes. Here I have the beef on the left, pork butt on the right.
  • Add the cubed meat to a large mixing bowl or pot, add all the dry ingredients from black pepper to onion powder. (I was out of onion powder so I added ½ cup diced onion.)
  • Using your hands, mix together the meats and seasonings until all the meat is coated.
  • Grind the meat through a grinder using the medium plate (¼ inch holes). Place ground meat in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the beer and eggs, and using your hands again, mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. 24 hours is preferred.
  • Prepare the casings of your choice, hog or collagen, stuff into the casings and form into links with your preferred method. Place links into bags to freeze. Use as needed on the grill, or in recipes of your choice. I made 27 links.

Notes

I will price this next time I buy beef. I will say Low cost per serving right now.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Homemade Hot Dogs

Homemade Hot Dogs

Adapted from several internet recipes.
This was an experiment, and it turned out very well! I only used collagen casings and that was spot on, I am not a fan of hot dogs with a skin. These can be all beef, all pork, or a combination. For this first experiment, I made them as listed here, which is a combo of beef and pork. No food processor will be used, just ample use of my electric grinder and a mortar and pestle. Keeping the grinder and meats cold is essential. I used collagen casings which are removed after simmering in water. Feel free to use casings of your choice.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, German
Servings 16 6 inch hot dogs

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams lean pork, cubed, (1 lb)
  • 350 grams lean beef, cubed, (¾ lb)
  • 120 grams pork fat, cubed, (¼ lb)
  • ¼ cup onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace, or nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1 egg white
  • teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • sausage casings, your preference, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Place the onion, garlic, and mustard seed into a mortar. Feel free to use a food processor for this. The mortar we have is the granite type, weighs in at about 20 pounds. Need something mashed quick, use the granite mortars.
  • Pound to a sort of smooth paste.
  • Place the contents of the mortar into a mixing bowl then add the egg white, sugar, salt, coriander, marjoram, mace, paprika, white pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add the milk and mix that in well. Place seasoning mixture in the fridge while you continue.
  • Thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that will have contact with the meat, the plate you are going to use is the fine plate, then place the parts (not the motor assembly) in the fridge to chill.
  • Cut the beef, pork, and fat, one at a time, into cubes that will fit into your grinder. As each item is cubed, place in the fridge to chill.
  • Assemble your grinder using the fine plate. Remove and grind the meats and fat separately, place all in a large mixing bowl. For this photo, I ground the beef first, visible a little on the left, then the fat, then the pork on top.
  • Using your clean hands or wearing gloves, mix the meats together, then mix in the seasoning mix, then mix in the liquid smoke.
  • Run the mixture through the grinder again. Place mixture in the fridge to chill. Now wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that had contact with the meat. When dried, place in the fridge as well.
  • When 30 minutes have passed, assemble the grinder again, and then, you guessed it, run the meat mixture through the grinder again, also using the fine plate. The mixture is pretty much a near paste now, which is desired.
  • Stuff the casings in your preferred way, using the grinder, a funnel, or sausage stuffer.
  • I measure out the collagen casings in 14 inch sections.
  • Lightly oil the stuffer tube for first use and thread the casing onto the tube, tie the end off with string, then puncture a hole right near the knot to let air escape when you start. Fill the casing to the end, after all casings are stuffed, tie a string at the 6 inch mark, no need to twist, just tie, then tie another at the 12 inch mark, cut off the tails of the strings and squeeze out the remaining sausage mix after where you tied it, put that back in the bowl with the sausage mixture. Repeat this using all the meat mixture. Leave the sausages in 12 inch lengths, do not cut them apart.
  • Heat a pot of water to simmering, when hot, place the links in the water for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the links and place in a large bowl or pot of ice water and allow the links to shock and chill, this stops the cooking.
  • Remove the links from the ice water
  • Cut off the opposite ends of the links, no need to cut the center, and squeeze out the hot dogs, place on a rack to cool further. There is only 15 here, I am the cook, I am allowed to try things. 🙂
  • Now the hot dogs are ready for use. You can store in the fridge (they are cooked) for up to 3-4 days, or freeze them for later use. To prepare them, just pan fry or grill, enjoy in a bun with your favorite sauces and toppings.
  • Fried.
  • Ready to be devoured, simple dish with spicy mustard and ketchup on one, regular mustard and ketchup on another one. Tasty!

Notes

I will price this when I prepare these. I will say Fair cost for now.