Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing, or possibly a German heritage thing, but one of my favorite foods is bratwurst. I grew up eating them weekly in the summertime, and will never forget the near foot long grilled brat my host family served me in Germany when I was staying in the country as a teenager for a choir trip. Snappy, sizzling, savory — SO DELICIOUS! Since my grill is currently buried under 4 inches of snow, I decided to squash a bratwurst craving with homemade Cheddar Bratwurst Meatballs complete with 3 homemade dipping sauces. Trust me when I tell you that homemade, cheddar cheese-stuffed bratwurst meatballs are a total upgrade from grilled brats!
Cheddar-Stuffed Bratwurst Meatballs
Before you go thinking that I squished fresh bratwurst from their casings then rolled the mixture into meatballs — let me stop you right there. Cheddar Bratwurst Meatballs are made with ground pork and a handful of everyday herbs and spices to create a homemade brat mixture that taste store bought (that’s a very good thing!) Stuffed with a molten, cheddar cheese center then served with a plethora of homemade yet EASY dipping sauces, each bite is a delight!
Start by adding 1lb ground pork, 1 whisked egg, 1/2 cup gluten-free panko-style bread crumbs (or Rice Chex that have been pulverized in the food processor,) and a homemade bratwurst seasoning mix into a large bowl then mix with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.
Next slice 2oz cheddar cheese into 16 cubes by slicing 1/4 of an 8oz block of cheddar cheese into 4 slices then giving the cheese a quarter turn and cutting the slices into 4 slices going the other direction to create 16 cubes. #mathwhiz
Divide the meatball mixture into quarters then form four balls from each quarter. Stuff a cube of cheese into each meatball then pinch to seal and roll into a ball with your hands.
Place the meatballs onto a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet then bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the Cheddar Brat Meatballs are baking, whip up three easy dipping sauces – Stadium Dipping Sauce, Bourbon-Dijon Dipping Sauce, and Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce. Recipes are below!
Like I said, each dipping sauce is made up of 3 ingredients or less, and they’re all fridge and liquor cabinet (muwahaha!) staples. The Bourbon-Dijon Dipping Sauce is just Dijon mustard combined with honey and bourbon. I want to take a bath in it.
The Stadium Dipping Sauce is ketchup mixed with BBQ sauce and a little yellow mustard, while the Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce is even easier, calling for just spicy brown mustard and Creole seasoning. Try one, two, or heck, try them all!
Best of all is the Cheddar Brat Meatballs and dipping sauces can all be made ahead of time. Roll the meatballs then cover and refrigerate overnight, and then pop into the oven during the pre-game show so they’ll be hot for kickoff. I know you’ll love these – enjoy!
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