| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Three 12-ounce bottles hard apple cider
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 10 spicy bratwurst
- 2 cups sauerkraut, thoroughly drained
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 18,000 Island Dressing, recipe follows
- 10 New England-style split-top buns, buttered and griddled on the outside
- Swiss Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
- 1/4 cup sliced chives, for garnish
- Thinly sliced Fresno chile peppers, for garnish, optional
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapenos
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Kosher salt
- One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 4 ounces Swiss cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 ounces white American cheese, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat on one side and low heat on the other side.
- Prepare the brat hot tub: In a 12-by-10-inch aluminum roasting pan, combine the hard cider, butter and onions. Place on the hot side of the grill.
- Grill the brats on the cool side of the grill with the lid closed until the internal temperature of the brats reaches 160 degrees F, 12 to 15 minutes per side. Transfer the brats to the brat hot tub, close the grill and simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes.
- Put the sauerkraut and caraway seeds in a small flameproof skillet and place directly on the grill until just warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup of the 18,000 Island Dressing and toss to combine.
- For assembly: Nestle a bratwurst and a couple slices of the braised onions into each bun. Smother in warm Swiss Cheese Sauce, then top with some of the kraut mixture. Garnish with sliced chives and thin slices of Fresno pepper if using.
- In a food processor, add the mayonnaise, ketchup, jalapenos, Dijon, garlic and some salt. Puree, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Set a medium saucepan over low heat and add the evaporated milk. Toss the Swiss cheese and cornstarch together in a bowl until totally coated. Whisk the Swiss and American cheese into the saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 846 |
| Total Fat | 63 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 124 mg |
| Sodium | 1491 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 846 |
| Total Fat | 63 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 124 mg |
| Sodium | 1491 mg |
Reviews
When I Go To My Next Family Reunion These Are Comming With Me….Excellent, I Made All Of The Topping’s That You Presented…Awesome!!!
90
Great recipe- used it with a pork loin! Delish!
These were great Jeff! Wish they would’ve posted your Cubano Dog as well; it would have saved me the time it took to write it all down! I was more excited about that recipe for this show!! THANKS!! It’s like you could be the Sandwich King! lol
I didn’t try the 18,000 Island dressing or the sauerkraut, but I loved this method of cooking brats and the Swiss cheese sauce is so good! Using the hard cider instead of beer was delicious and gave the brats such a nice flavor. The onions from the brat tub tasted so great on the brats. I will definitely be using this method every time I grill bratwurst!
I got tons of compliments on these because they were different, but I didn’t think the Reuben taste came through besides the caraway seeds. All the components were great but fought and nullified each other. So I got no sauerkraut or Swiss cheese taste specifically – flavors just all blended together too much. Looked pretty on a platter though – the chives and red chilies are a must!
These are seriously amazing! I’ve made this recipe twice now, once on the grill, and once on the stovetop. Great either way! We kept the extra sauce to put on other sandwiches, so good! I used Stella cidre as the cider beer, it’s my favorite. Nice and crisp. You can’t mess this recipe up, it’s very easy and fail proof.
Awesome!!
Easy and Delicious
A+ Jeff!! These were amazing! I cooked the brats in the cider and onion bath, but in the oven not on the grill. I cooked them at 400 degrees covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 30. Once done, I grilled them quickly for those grill marks. They turned out perfect. The cheese sauce was a huge hit! My family, including two teenage daughters, loved them! I can’t wait to make these again!