Grilled Brats with Beer Cheddar Jack Cheese Sauce are the perfect combination for your next cookout! This hearty and delicious recipe it's sure to be a huge hit with everyone.
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Mr. Juggling Act loves sausage and peppers with his brats, but I decided to kick the traditional recipe up a little with my Cheddar Jack Cheese Sauce.
These Grilled Brats with Beer Cheese Sauce are awesome for a crowd and so simple to make. You can chop the onions and peppers up ahead of time. And while the brats are cooking on the grill, you can whisk together this delicious spicy beer cheese sauce.
Ingredients
This sauce is so simple to make, and you don't need very many ingredients for it. Lots of these are items you probably already have on hand.
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cream Cheese
- Beer
- Yellow mustard
- Ground mustard
- Paprika
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
For the brats, you'll need rolls, an onion, and bell peppers - any color will work.
Instructions
Here's how to make the beer cheese sauce.
- Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions until tender over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the cream cheese and whisk it into the onion and garlic mixture.
- Gently pour the beer into the skillet and heat until bubbling.
- Add the yellow and ground mustard, and paprika.
- A little at a time, add in the shredded cheeses, whisking until smooth before adding more.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. For an extra kick, add a punch of red pepper flakes.
- Serve hot on top of brats.
Equipment
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- Sauce Pan
- Whisk
- Measuring Spoons and Dry Measuring Cups
- Cutting Board and Santoku Knife - absolute favorite knife - I use it daily!
- Aluminum Foil
- Instant-Read Meat Thermometer - this is my favorite quick and inexpensive meat thermometer.
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Leftovers
The cheese sauce is so delicious that you're going to want to put it on everything. In fact, if you have leftover brats, chop them up into small pieces, sprinkle them over tortilla chips, and layer on the cheese sauce. Bake in the oven until everything is warm.
Recipe Variations
If you want to add some spice, flavor, or texture to the cheese sauce, here are some ideas for fun variations. Feel free to make this your own.
- For some spice, add a dash of hot pepper sauce. You can also add in some jalapeno peppers. This will taste amazing on the brats!
- I am a huge fan of bacon, so add some crumbled bacon too. Swap out the bacon for some spicy sausage too.
- I love the paprika in this sauce, but you can also add some ginger for more spice and a different flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions
This beer cheese sauce is amazing on grilled brats. it adds a dimension of creaminess and brings out the smoky flavor perfectly. Here are some other ideas for the sauce. Make a big batch and use it as a condiment on the following foods.
- Beer Cheese Sauce for Pretzels: Homemade pretzels are some of the most indulgent comfort foods. This sauce has a ton of flavor without an overpowering saltiness. It's perfect for pretzels because you can use sea salt on the pretzels and still dip them in the sauce - it's purely amazing. Try this recipe for shortcut Pretzel Bites.
- Beer Cheese Sauce for Pasta: What is your favorite pasta? Increase your macaroni and cheese game by using my beer cheese sauce instead. Throw in some crumbled bacon or sausage for a completely new meal that your kids and family will love.
- Beer Cheese Sauce for Burgers: Sure cheeseburgers are pretty amazing, (and my favorite cheese for burgers is cheddar jack cheese) but slather a grilled burger with this beer cheese sauce! Add some grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, and bacon for an unbelievable burger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beer cheese sauce is a traditional Wisconsin condiment. You'll find lots of recipes for Wisconsin beer cheese soup and other variations with these ingredients. If you want to go for authenticity, use a Wisconsin beer.
If you can't find a Wisconsin beer, make sure you go for a beer with lots of body and flavor. Skip the light beer and dark brown beers. Light beers don't add enough flavor and the dark browns will give the sauce an unappetizing color.
Instead, use a light red or brown ale, with more malt and not so many hops. Miller High Life is perfect.
As you can see, I prefer the bold flavors of the combination of cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Both of them have a fantastic melting point too. It's easy to find them at grocery stores, readily available in the refrigerated cheese section. These 2 kinds of cheese really are the best to use for my sauce.
Some other cheeses you might want to try include Havarti (for the creaminess) or Muenster (for the mild flavor and amazing way it melts).
Brats should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 160F. I like to use this instant-read internal meat thermometer.
Whether it's game day or backyard barbecue, these brats are sure to be a big hit with everyone! Here's how to make our Grilled Brats with Beer Cheddar Jack Cheese Sauce for your next cookout:
Grilled Brats with Beer Cheese Sauce
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Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ sweet onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz beer
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups cheddar shredded
- 1 cup pepper jack shredded
- salt and black pepper to taste
Grilled Brats
- 6 brats
- 1 onion cut into slices
- 2 bell peppers cut into strips
- 6 rolls
Instructions
Cheese Sauce
- Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions until tender over medium heat.½ sweet onion, 1 tablespoon butter
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.2 cloves garlic
- Add the cream cheese and whisk it into the onion and garlic mixture.4 oz cream cheese
- Gently pour the beer into the skillet and heat until bubbling.8 oz beer
- Add the yellow and ground mustard, and paprika.2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika
- A little at a time, add in the shredded cheeses, whisking until smooth before adding more.2 cups cheddar, 1 cup pepper jack
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. For an extra kick, add a punch of red pepper flakes.salt and black pepper to taste
Grilled Brats
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Poke a few holes in each brat.
- Grill brats for 15-20 minutes, turning every so often.6 brats
- Place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the grill grates (or use a grill basket). Add the onions and peppers onto the foil and cook until tender.1 onion, 2 bell peppers
- Add the brats to the rolls and serve with hot cheese sauce.6 rolls
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Aluminum Foil
Here are a few of our other favorite dishes to grill up!
From Left To Right:
Meal Planning
Want to add this recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.
This recipe is included in Meal Plan 20 along with:
- sweet and sour meatballs with pineapple sweet and sour sauce
- blueberry overnight oats
- teriyaki beef skewers
- blueberry pineapple smoothie
- lemon cake
... and more!
Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.
Katie says
That recipe sounds awesome. What a great way to spice it up a little!
Ang Paris says
They are SO good! Thanks for stopping by!
Sue Delmoth says
Yum!
Ellen Daniels says
Yum!!!
Christy @ Our Southern Home says
I am seriously craving this now!
Ang Paris says
Christy it is SO good! I hope you get a chance to try it soon 🙂
Jeanie @Create & Babble says
My family is going to flip over this recipe - thanks for sharing! Pinned!
Ang Paris says
It's really so delicious! Enjoy 🙂
Amy Anderson says
OMG that cheese sauce - I have to try that combo! Yum!