Cheddar, Beer and Bratwurst Fondue

The super bowl is only one week away and I am pretty excited!  Not that I follow professional football (though I am thrilled to see the Packers and the Steelers in the game!), but I love the super bowl because it's the perfect excuse to make obscenely unhealthy bar food at home.  How can ANYONE not love that?

So this week I plan to post recipes to my favorite bar foods.  I am starting out with this recipe for cheddar beer and bratwurst fondue.  It's basically Welsh Rarebit with a twist.  My twist is to cook the bratwurst in the beer creating a "bratwurst stock", before using it as the base for the fondue.  I use Johnsonville bratwurst from Wisconsin, and Yeungling beer from Pennsylvania for the perfect game day combo!

 Its the super bowl of flavor when Wisconsin bratwurst meets Pennsylvania beer!

You can serve just about anything with this fondue but I like to use slices of the beer-boiled bratwurst, soft pretzels (from the freezer section), cauliflower, pumpernickel bread cubes, and dill pickles.  YUM!

This recipe is so easy it can be prepared at a tailgate party!  To prove this, we cooked everything on our propane camp stove!  Tiki tailgate-time terrific!

Tail-gatin' at the Tiki!

Cheddar, Beer and Bratwurst Fondue
serves 6-8

1 lb fresh Bratwurst (I prefer Johnsonville)
2 12 oz. cans of beer (Yeungling is perfect)
2 Tbsp butter

1 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash worcestershire sauce
hot sauce to taste

Soft pretzels, cauliflower or broccoli florets, bread cubes, dill pickles, chips etc...

Pour 1 can of beer in a heavy skillet, add bratwurst and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook bratwurst, flipping occasionally, until plumped and firm (about 10 minutes).  Remove Bratwurst from pan, pour beer into small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup, reserve.

Add butter to skillet and return to heat, return bratwurst to skillet and cook over medium heat until bratwurst is browned.  Remove bratwurst from pan, and return beer to pan to "de-glaze", then pour back into bowl or measuring cup, reserve.  Allow bratwurst to cool to room temp, then slice into bite size chunks.

 After being plumped in beer, bratwurst is browned in butter

Adjust reserved beer and bratwurst "stock" to 1 cup with additional beer, drink remaining beer.  Place fondue pot over a sterno or alcohol fire and add beer to pot, bring to a boil.  While beer is heating, toss grated cheese with flour and dry mustard.  Add cheese mixture to boiling beer a handful at a time, stirring, until all cheese is melted and fondue thickens, about 10-15 minutes.  Season with Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.  Serve hot with sliced bratwurst, soft pretzels, cauliflower, broccoli, bread cubes, pickles, etc.