German Oktoberfest Sausage Casserole
A hearty Oktoberfest-inspired casserole featuring a baked soft-pretzel crust layered with creamy mashed potatoes, savory sausage, honey mustard, and tangy sauerkraut. A pretzel lattice, Swiss cheese, and coarse salt complete the dish before a final bake until golden and bubbling.
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Ingredients
For the Pretzel Crust
- 10 soft pretzels thawed
For the Casserole Filling
- 24 oz sauerkraut warmed and thoroughly drained
- 1/3 cup honey mustard such as French’s
- 24 oz cooked bratwurst or frankfurter links sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups warm mashed potatoes prepared with butter and milk for a creamy consistency
For the Topping
- 8 oz Swiss cheese freshly grated
- 4 soft pretzels thawed and cut or arranged into manageable pieces for the topping
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt or pretzel salt
For Serving
- Beer sauce optional
Instructions
- Lightly grease a casserole dish. Arrange the 10 thawed soft pretzels across the base and up the sides of the dish to form the crust.
- Fill a large loaf pan with baking beans or pie weights, then grease the exterior of the pan. Set it inside the casserole dish and press down firmly so the pretzels are compressed against the bottom and sides.
- Place the casserole dish, with the weighted loaf pan still inside, into an oven preheated to 325°F. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven while leaving the loaf pan in position. Allow the pretzel crust to cool for approximately 1 hour.
- After the crust has cooled, carefully lift the loaf pan out of the casserole dish.
- Spread a layer of the warm mashed potatoes over the pretzel crust.
- Add successive layers of cooked sausage pieces, honey mustard, and warm, well-drained sauerkraut.
- Continue layering the mashed potatoes, sausage, mustard, and sauerkraut until the casserole dish is filled, finishing with sauerkraut as the uppermost layer.
- Unfold or arrange the remaining 4 thawed pretzels over the casserole in a lattice-style pattern.
- Scatter the grated Swiss cheese across the pretzel lattice, then season the surface evenly with the coarse sea salt or pretzel salt.
- Return the assembled casserole to the 325°F oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the pretzel topping has developed a golden-brown color and the Swiss cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
- Serve the casserole warm, accompanied by beer sauce if desired and a cold mug of beer for a traditional Oktoberfest-style presentation.
Notes
Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly before layering it into the casserole to prevent excess moisture from softening the pretzel crust.
Freshly grated Swiss cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
Pretzel salt may be used in place of coarse sea salt for a more traditional pretzel-style finish.