Bubble and Squeak with Bratwurst

Ah, a down home dinner that has nothing tussy-mussy about it. As the football season starts to wind its way toward play offs, I am dealing with a guy who is gearing up for a New England Patriots visit to the Superbowl ... gosh, I hope I didn't just jinx the whole deal!

Bubble and Squeak with Braised Bratwurst - printer friendly

Shreds of cabbage ready for a buttery saute

Bratwurst ready for a beer braise with added bay leaf and caraway seed

Anyway, we tend to make indoor tailgate food during the last part of the football season, so I told SB that I'd do bratwurst for a late dinner. We'll make a big deal of cracking some beers and having our dinner in front of the football game tonight. Rah, rah, rah! I may not be a huge football fan, but I can get excited about good wurst and a couple good side dishes with a cold beer to chase everything.

Buttery cooked cabbage ready for onion saute and mashed potatoes

So ... Bubble and Squeak ... it's an old, old dish. I first encountered it in a cook book on early American cooking. It's a hot buttery fry of shredded cabbage that has mashed potatoes and caramelized onions mixed in to make a crispy crust that binds the cabbage into a basic pancake. I serve it with a sprinkle of nutmeg and caraway seed and a dollop of sour cream, salt, and pepper. I plan to beer braise the bratwurst and have hot mustard on the side for dipping. Sauteed applesauce and cranberries round out the plate ... simple, sweet, and a nice foil to the cabbage and potatoes. Oh ... and a couple slices of dark pumpernickel bread for wiping up the juices and mustard drips.

All this platter needs is a small bowl of sour cream that has a sprinkling of nutmeg and another small bowl of hot mustard for dipping bites of bratwurst. Hmmmm... lecker! Guten appetit!