Sausage with Cheesy Spaetzle and Caramelized Onion
Topping sausages with cheesy spaetzle might seem odd but it was a great combination on this buttery bun! I was thinking of using mac and cheese at first, but the small bits of spaetzle melded with the cheese to form a nice sauce on these bratwurst sausages! I mixed a little mustard in, and it was right at home next to the caramelized onions and fresh jalapenos!
The inspiration for this recipe
I was at the store trying to figure out what I wanted to make. As always, I was craving some mac and cheese. I also have been working on an idea of a spaetzle pasta salad, and kinda wanted to make a sausage sandwich. I realized all of these ideas could come together as one thing and that’s where this sandwich came from.
Some pickled jalapeno and mustard in the cheesy mixture for the spaetzle to help it act like a condiment for the sausages. Topping the whole thing with some caramelized onion and a little fresh jalapeno finished it off in a perfect way. I used cotija for the cheese cause I had it around, but you definitely could use cheddar or many other cheese options. I think feta or smoked gouda would be great too. Watch the video here, or keep on scrolling for the recipe!
Making the spaetzle
The dough is just flour, milk, and eggs and you beat it in a bowl for about 10 minutes until it gets stretchy like this.
Then press it though the holes of a large strainer into boiling water. You can also use a spaetzle maker if you have one!
After it cooks, toss it in a pan with some butter to brown on the edges, then stir it into the cheese mixture. The heat of the spaetzle and butter will cause it to melt and form a cheesy sauce for the sausages.
Cook the sausages
Boil the sausages in some beer first, then sear them on the outside. You could also finish them on the grill if you would rather!
Prepping the buns
Square off the buns on the sides so you can brown them on all edges and the ends of the sausage stick out but it is enough to hold all the cheesy spaetzle. Make sure to brown them on all 6 sides!
Serving the sausage with cheesy spaetzle
Top the sausages with the cheesy spaetzle, caramelized onions, and jalapeno and serve.
So good! Perfect for your next backyard hangout!
The three toppings play together perfectly! The deep flavor of the onions match with the fresh crunch and heat of the jalapeno! The cheesy spaetzle creates a great sauce for the sausage and brings everything together!
Twists on Sausage with cheesy spaetzle
You could do put cheesy spaetzle on any sausage you want, it doesn’t need to be bratwurst. You could also use a store bought mac and cheese to make it easier but still get the great combination of flavors. This would also be great with vegan sausages!
For more fun twists on sausages, check out my gnocchi bun sausages, or these nacho topped links!
Sausage with Cheesy Spaetzle, Caramelized Onion, and Jalapeno
Equipment
Ingredients
Spaetzle
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- butter
Spaetzle Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup crumbled or shredded cheese I used cotija, but cheddar or gouda would be great too
- 1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- a little milk as needed
The Rest
- 2 large yellow onions sliced thin
- more butter
- 4 sub rolls
- even more butter
- 4 bratwurst sausages
- beer
- fresh jalapeno sliced thin
Instructions
Spaetzle
- Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, milk, and eggs and beat for 10/15 minutes until it is smooth and stretchy. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Place a strainer with large holes over the pot of water. You could also use a spaetzle maker if you have one. Brush or spray with some oil. Add the dough and press it through the holes with a spatula so small pieces of dough fall into the water.
- Cook the dough for 3 minutes then strain. Melt some butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the strained spaetzle. Toss in the butter and cook for 5 minutes to lightly brown.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cheese, jalapeno, and mustard. Pour the hot spaetzle into the bowl and stir well to combine. The cheese should mostly melt and coat the spaetzle in a creamy sauce, but if it doesn’t completely melt yet, that is OK. Set aside until ready to use.
Sausages
- Add some butter to a frying pan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and drastically reduced in size, about 45 minutes.
- Add some butter to another frying pan. Cut the ends off the rolls so that they are the size where the ends of the sausage will stick out. Toast the bread in the pan on all 6 sides.
- Add some beer to that pan, about 1 inch deep. Add the sausages and simmer about 7 minutes, flip and repeat until they are grey and cooked through. Drain the beer if there is any left and add some oil. Turn the heat up and brown the sausages.
- Add a splash of milk to the bowl with the spaetzle and microwave it to warm it up. It probably will be congealed by now. Do a few increments of about 15 seconds, and add milk as needed until the mixture is hot, melty, and creamy.
- Build the sausages with the bun first, then the sausage, then the spaetzle, then the caramelized onions, then finally the jalapeno.