Football season officially kicks off today, which, if you’re like me, means the return of over-the-top game day feasts complete with nachos, dips, buffalo wings, veggie platters, Bloody Mary’s and about a dozen other bite-sized snacks to carry your appetite into the end zone.
One of my favorite apps to make is appropriately in theme with the game at play. Wrapped in flaky filo dough, “beer brats in a blanket” bring together any football lover’s three main food groups, all rolled up into one flavorful bite.
Cooking the brats in a mixture of onion and dark, malty beer (try Silver City Brewery’s Fat Scotch Ale) creates a caramelized coating that is both savory and full of flavor. Wrap the meaty morsels up in pre-made filo dough (how convenient!), bake and serve alongside your favorite hot or honey mustard, and you’ve got the makings for crowd pleasing hors o’dourves with half the effort.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
Makes: 24 beer brats in a blanket
Ingredients:
1 package pre-made puff pastry cups (24-count)
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Silver City Brewery’s Fat Scotch Ale
11 ounces bratwurst, linguica or andouille sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Place puff pastry cups onto ungreased cookie sheet and brush with egg wash. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cups are golden brown.
While puff pastry is cooking, prepare the filling. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, saute onion in olive oil. Once onion has browned (about 6 minutes) add salt, pepper, beer and bratwurst. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until bratwurst is golden brown and beer has reduced into a thick coating.
Once puff pastry cups are golden brown in color, remove from oven and fill with one ½-inch piece of bratwurst per cup.
Serve the beer brats in a blanket alongside your favorite spicy or honey mustard (or combine the two for a sweet and spicy combo) and enjoy!
