Bratwurst Filled Mustard Knoedel

Raise your hand if you love a surprise knödel.  If your hand is raised you will be very happy with this recipe.

To create the flavor, I added spicy Germany mustard to a basic bread (Semmel) knödel recipe. You can use whatever mustard you have on hand. If you like spicy, dijon would work as well.

This recipe takes a bit of time to make. There are several steps and the knödel has to rest an hour before shaping them. However, the steps are easy.  I pan browned the bratwurst after cooking them, You can certainly skip that step.

To garnish them I sprinkled mustard powder over the top which gave the knödel a little extra hit of flavor. That step is optional.

Imagine all the fun substitutions you can create with this recipe. I used pork brats but you can swap those out for chicken, turkey, beef or even vegetarian sausage.

You can make these as a main meal, paired with a vegetable or salad. They also make great appetizers, a German version of Pigs in a Blanket. I served them with some extra mustard on the side for dipping but the knödel itself has a definite mustard taste.

These were as much fun to create as they were to eat and they were a big hit with my picky eater Germany husband which is always a bonus in my house.

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Bratwurst Filled Mustard Knoedel

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Course Appetizer, Brunch

Cuisine German

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Rest Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 30 Knödel

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 4 bratwurst
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup spicy German mustard plus more for dipping
• 1+1/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Mustard powder for garnish optional

Instructions

1. Place 12 inch of water in a frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the brats, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the brats over and cook for another 4 minutes. They should puff up significantly.
2. Remove the brats. Pour the water out of the pan and wipe it clean. Heat the vegetable oil in the pan and put the brats back in, turning them frequently so that they brown on all sides. Remove the brats and let them cool on a cutting board, patting off the excess grease.
3. Cut each brat into one-inch pieces.
4. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl.
5. Peel the onions and dice into small pieces.
6. Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté them in the brat grease until the onions soften and become transparent. Save the pan. You will need it later.
7. Warm the milk slightly and add it to the breadcrumbs along with the eggs, fried onion, and mustard.
8. Mix until combined.
9. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
10. Cover the bowl and let it stand room temperature for 1 hour.
11. Pinch off a portion of the mustard knödel mixture and form a flat disk in your palm. Place a piece of bratwurst in the center and close the mixture around the bratwurst piece. Repeat.
    
12. Place a layer of paper towels beside the stove.
13. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
14. Add the knödel.
15. Lower the heat to a  simmer and let the knödel cook for 20 minutes until they are fluffy.
16. Remove the knödel from the pot and transfer to the paper towels to drain.
17. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized skillet.
18. Carefully add the cooked knödel to the skillet and fry them in the butter, gently turning them to brown on all sides.
19. Remove from the pan, plate, sprinkle with mustard powder and serve immediately with mustard for dipping.

Knödel krazy? try these other delicious recipes:

Ramp Shallot Knödel / Sage Sunflower Seed Knödel Stuffed Red Squash

Lemon Roast Chicken Over Majoram Knödel/Hazelnut Ramp Knödel/ Piña Colada Knödel