Touchdown Brat Sliders (Print Version)

Juicy bratwurst patties with beer cheese sauce, caramelized onions, and pickles on soft slider buns.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bratwurst Patties

01 - 1 pound uncooked bratwurst sausages, casings removed
02 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
03 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Beer Cheese Sauce

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
06 - 1 cup lager beer
07 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
08 - 2 ounces cream cheese
09 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - Salt to taste

→ Caramelized Onions

11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Assembly

14 - 12 slider buns
15 - 1/3 cup sliced dill pickles
16 - 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing buns
17 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Sauté sliced onions with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and golden brown, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
03 - In a bowl, combine bratwurst meat, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix gently. Divide into 12 equal portions and shape each into a small patty.
04 - Arrange patties on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly add beer, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to low, then add cheddar and cream cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in Dijon mustard and season with salt. Keep warm.
06 - Split slider buns and place bottom halves in a baking dish. Top each with a brat patty, a spoonful of caramelized onions, pickles, and generous beer cheese sauce. Cover with bun tops.
07 - Brush bun tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
08 - Bake assembled sliders for 7 to 8 minutes, until buns are toasted and cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They disappear faster than any appetizer tray I've ever made, and people always ask for the recipe before they leave.
  • The beer cheese sauce is so good you'll want to pour it over everything else in your kitchen.
  • You can assemble them ahead and just pop them in the oven when guests arrive.
  • They taste like stadium food but better, without the overpriced concession stand markup.
02 -
  • Don't skip caramelizing the onions properly, the sweetness they develop is essential to balancing the richness of the cheese sauce.
  • Add the beer to the sauce slowly while whisking, or it will clump and refuse to smooth out no matter how much you stir.
  • Let the patties cool for a minute before assembling, or the cheese sauce will slide right off the hot meat.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale to divide the bratwurst meat evenly, so all the patties cook at the same rate and fit the buns perfectly.
  • Brush the bun tops with butter right before baking, not earlier, or they'll soak it up and turn soggy instead of golden.
  • If the beer cheese sauce gets too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of beer or milk at a time until it reaches the perfect pourable consistency.
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