Philly Cheese Brats
The following recipe was created in collaboration with Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry.
Summertime is here, so let’s crank your grilling game into high gear. Come cold or hot weather I’m always cooking outside, but it’s definitely more enjoyable to grill when the weather is nice. So with the forecast getting warmer, I decided to take full advantage and grill some of our favorite ginger beer brats.
I’ve never been to Philly but I know that it is famous for cheese steak sandwiches, so I decided to turn my ginger beer brats into a Philly cheese-style treat complete with beer cheese sauce, peppers and onions and a family-size pierogi side dish. You can’t beat the quick prep, easy clean up and ample time enjoyed outdoors. It’s like taking a little vacation every time we step outside onto our back patio.
Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.
Philly Cheese Brats
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Ginger Beer Brats
- 4-5 Heinen’s sweet Italian sausage links
- 4-5 Heinen’s bratwurst links
- 12 oz. of ginger beer
- 8-10 brioche hot dog buns
- ½ large white onion, sliced
- 10-12 sweet peppers, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil spray
For the Ginger Beer Cheese
- 1 cup ginger beer (Use what you have leftover from marinating the bratwursts.)
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese (Parmesan works, too.)
- 8 oz. Heinen’s Italian shredded cheese blend
- 1/2 cup whole milk (Add more if the sauce is too thick.)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Salt
Instructions
- Place bratwursts in a 9×9 baking dish and pour ginger beer over top. Wrap in plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, preheat the grill to 375˚F. Spray grilling surface with olive oil spray so the brats don’t stick. Place brats and Italian sausage on the grill, close the lid and let cook for 4-5 minutes per side. When they are done cooking and have nice grill marks, turn off the grill and let them hang out in there to keep warm.
- To a skillet, add 3 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Once the flour has fully dissolved, add the remaining ginger beer with the butter and flour mixture.
- Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cheeses, milk, Dijon mustard, paprika and salt. Bring the heat back down to low and mix until the cheese is melted and everything becomes silky and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add another ¼ cup of milk.
- For the peppers and onions, heat 1 Tbsp. of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and peppers to the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté the peppers and onions for about 5 minutes while tossing them in the butter throughout the cook time. Cover and turn the heat down to low and let cook for a few more minutes until soft, but not mushy.
- Place brioche buns on the grill which you turned off once your brats were done cooking. Close the lid and let sit for a few minutes to warm.
- Take one of the toasted buns off of the grill and drizzle a couple Tbsp. of the beer cheese over the inside of the bun. Place a bratwurst or Italian sausage on top of the cheese, then add more cheese on top. Finish with peppers and onions.
Note: These Philly Cheese Brats pair perfectly with Heinen’s Potato & Cheese Pierogies and Cleveland Kraut.
