Whenever I grill hot dogs, my husband and son love to grill bratwurst and sausage as well. One of their favorite is these Grilled Bacon Cheddar Bratwurst Dogs. They’re so easy to make! This is a sponsored post.
Hillshire Farm Cheddar Wurst sausages are made with quality cuts of meat and creamy Wisconsin cheese. Since they’re already cooked and seasoned just right, they’re a quick, tasty, and simple meal to make for your family!
Bacon is legendary for going well with cheddar. Since my family loves bacon, I thought I’d make these sausages extra special by wrapping them in bacon and then grilling them until they were done.
When you wrap smoky, salty bacon around juicy bratwurst sausage and stuff it with gooey cheddar cheese, you get bacon cheddar brats. It takes some skill to cook these in the right way because they have a lot of different flavors. Undercook them and the cheese won’t melt. Overcook them and you’ll end up with charred, dried out meat. Learn how to make perfect bacon cheddar brats every time by following this full guide.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make these mouthwatering bacon cheddar brats at home you’ll need
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Bratwurst sausages: choose links that aren’t cooked yet to make sure they cook all the way through.
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Cheddar cheese – use a good melty cheese like sharp cheddar. Cut into small strips for stuffing.
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Bacon – sliced bacon works best. Go for a thick-cut to hold up on the grill
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Toothpicks – to hold the bacon in place.
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Buns – soft hot dog buns work great. Brioche or pretzel buns also pair well.
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Condiments – think mustard, ketchup, mayo, or sauerkraut.
Preparing the Sausages
Before cooking your bacon cheddar brats, you need to prepare the sausages:
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Cut a pocket: Use a paring knife to cut a pocket into each bratwurst link. Don’t cut all the way through – leave about 1/2 inch intact at the bottom.
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Add the cheese: Stuff each pocket with a few small strips of cheddar cheese.
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Wrap with bacon: Wrap each brat with 2 slices of bacon, securing with toothpicks at the ends. Make sure the bacon fully envelops the sausage.
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Refrigerate: Place the stuffed and wrapped sausages in the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour. This helps the cheese set and the bacon adhere.
Cooking Methods
There are a few different ways you can cook your bacon cheddar brats, including grilling, baking, and pan frying.
Grilling
Grilling imparts delicious smoky flavor and cooks the sausages evenly.
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Heat grill to medium-high. Oil grates to prevent sticking.
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Grill brats for 15-20 minutes, rotating frequently, until bacon is crisp and sausage reaches 160°F internally.
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If flare-ups occur, move sausages to cooler area of grill. Keep lid open.
Baking
Baking lets you cook up a big batch with little fuss.
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease.
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Arrange brats on sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Turn halfway.
Pan-Frying
Pan frying on the stovetop makes for easy clean-up.
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Heat a skillet over medium high. Add 1 Tbsp oil then add brats.
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Cook 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally until bacon is crisp and sausage is browned.
Cooking Tips
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Always use an instant read thermometer to check temperature. Bratwurst is safely cooked at 160°F.
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Avoid poking sausages as they cook to prevent cheese leakage.
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Cook low and slow if cheese starts to ooze out.
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Add a splash of beer or apple cider to the pan when pan frying for extra flavor.
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Turn the sausages often to prevent burning.
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Don’t overcrowd if cooking in batches. Too many brats lowers the heat.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some tasty ways to serve your bacon cheddar brats:
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On buns with mustard, ketchup, relish, and onions
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Chopped up in mac and cheese or baked potatoes
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In beer cheese soup or dip
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On nachos loaded with all the fixings
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In omelets or breakfast burritos
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On top of tater tots or fries
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On pizza with lots of cheese
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In a quesadilla with peppers and onions
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Crumbled in hash with eggs and potatoes
So next time you fire up the grill or oven, try your hand at making these ultimate bacon cheddar brats. Just follow the preparation, cooking, and serving tips above and you’ll have a new go-to crowd-pleaser perfect for game days, holidays, or anytime you have a hankering for this decadent dog.
Bacon Cheddar Wurst DogsPrep Time:
- 1 package Hillshire Farm Cheddar Wurst
- 12 slices of bacon
- 1 package of hotdog buns
- mustard or other condiments
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees.
- Wrap each Cheddar Wurst in two overlapped slices of bacon.
- Secure the ends with toothpicks.
- Grill the bacon for one to two minutes on each side, turning it over once, until it’s done.
- Remove from grill, and serve immediately.
Any nutritional information on thetiptoefairy. com should only be used as a general guideline. Please note that this information is being shared voluntarily, and there is no guarantee that it is entirely correct.
How to grill Bacon Cheddar Bratwurst Dogs?
Since the Cheddar Wurst sausages are already cooked, you’re just cooking the bacon.
Overlap two pieces of bacon. Then, wrap each cheddar wurst from one end to the other.
I recommend sealing the bacon shut with a toothpick, until it’s been grilled. This will help prevent it from unraveling.
Preheat grill to 400 degrees.
Grill for about 1-2 minutes per side rotating until the bacon is completely cooked.
Remove them from grill, and serve immediately on buns with your favorite condiments.
If you want to grill these, don’t close the grill lid. The bacon grease can quickly start flames that will make the food hot. We found that the fire would get big and hot (up to 600 degrees) if we closed the lid. But if we left the lid open, it would stay just below 400 degrees.
Bacon Cheddar Brats
FAQ
What is the best way to cook cheddar brats?
Should I boil brats before baking?
How do you cook Johnsonville Cheddar brats?
These packets make it simple to grill brats, and they are a great way to ensure that yours come out perfectly cooked each time. To cook Johnsonville cheddar brats in the oven, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange brats on a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
What is a BRAT diet?
BRAT is an acronym for Banana, Rice, Applesauce and Toast, which means bananas, rice, apple puree and toast. The BRAT diet consists of low-fiber foods and is often recommended for treating stomach problems, digestive disorders and diarrhea. The use of this diet is not recommended for more than 48 hours, as prolonged use of the BRAT diet can lead to malnutrition due to its low energy content
Can you use Cheddar Brats on a barbecue?
Use cheddar brats for an extra flavor boost, and top with your favorite brat toppings! Barbecue doesn’t always have to be fancy. There’s something to be said for just being able to fire up the grill and throw something on there and be eating in under an hour. That’s part of the draw.
How to cook Cheddar bratwurst?
Pour 1/2 cup of water into the skillet, and heat it over medium heat. Place the cheddar bratwurst in the pan and cook them for 10 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time. Remove the bratwursts from the skillet, and allow them to cool for five minutes before you serve them.