It’s October and time to host an Oktoberfest! Or it's at least time to enjoy some bratwursts and sauerkraut in your own home. We're not huge party people and, in fact, don't even like beer! But every October, we tap into the German part of my husband's heritage and have an Oktoberfest with Bratwursts & Sauerkraut because … YUM!

Making your own sauerkraut is well worth the effort, but this recipe allows for the jarred variety to make it easier to get on the table. Look for a good, organic sauerkraut in glass jars in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and then add to it.

Serve the Brats and Sauerkraut with mashed potatoes, rolls, and mustard.

8 links bratwurst sausages

2 cups julienned red onions

3 12-ounce bottles dark beer

6 ounces chopped bacon

2 cups julienned yellow onions

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 large sweet apple like Red or Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or Jonagold

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon juniper berries crushed (I use my marble mortar & pestle). See notes for juniper berry substitutions.

1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed

2 lbs sauerkraut packed in glass jars, drained

Salt to season

With a sharp knife or fork, prick each sausage several times. In a large pot, combine the red onions and beer and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the bratwursts and poach until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.

In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. If there's a lot of grease, pour some off if you’d like. Add the yellow onions to the fat in the pan and cook, stirring until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the apples, the bay leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries.

Finally, add the drained sauerkraut and 3-4 soup ladles of the reserved beer that the brats cooked in. Reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more reserved beer if needed.

Preheat the grill. Grill the sausages until cooked through and brown on the outside. Place the grilled sausages on top of the sauerkraut in the pot and serve with mashed potatoes, plenty of bread or pretzels and, of course, a selection of mustards!

Note: Juniper berries are readily available on Amazon, at most grocery stores in the spice section and, if you're a seasoned forager, in the wild! However, if you truly have NO access, you can substitute 1 Tablespoon of gin if you don't mind cooking with alcohol, or 1 teaspoon of juniper berry extract. Other substitutes are 1 Tablespoon of fresh rosemary and a squeeze of lemon, or 6 bay leaves, or 1:1 caraway seeds, or 1:1 cardamom. 

Bon Appétit!

Tammy Circeo, Freelance Recipe Writer