Creamy Cheese and Brat Casserole

This Creamy Cheese and Bratwurst Casserole recipe is a budget-friendly and quick dinner idea for busy nights.

Okay, I get it. Brats are made for the grill. But someone forgot to tell this Creamy Cheese and Brat Casserole the news. Did we take brats a step further by taking them off the grill and into a casserole dish? This recipe is custom made for big stomach growling appetites. Yes, I know we all grew up on having brats served on a hot dog bun and topped with caramelized onion and zesty yellow mustard and that’s alright. But, just maybe you’re ready for a brat-reboot. And if pasta and casseroles are a familiar staple around your abode, then adding a rich, creamy sauce made with a mixture of Alfredo,  cream of mushroom soup, and minced garlic is going to be a no-brainer.

The brats were cooked to perfection on a grate over charcoal and chunks of hickory wood, then rough chopped. The recipe also calls for sautéed green bell peppers and onions. A five-cheese Italian blend also makes an appearance. But the kicker has got to be the cubed artisan bread topping! I took rustic artisan bread, cut it into cubes, and pan-toasted the cubed bread with sweet cream butter and olive oil. Tossed ’em one and all and made a mighty fine rooftop upon this Creamy Cheese and Brat Casserole. Yes, we did good. Real good. Check out the details down below.

Creamy Cheese and Brat Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds rigatoni pasta
• 5 Bratwurst cut into 2″ pieces
• 2 cups of 5-blend Italian cheese
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced or run through a garlic press
• 3 cups of homemade or store bought Alfredo sauce
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (or use homemade Cream of mushroom soup)
• 4 slices of day-old artisan bread, cubed
• 4 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 stick of unsalted sweet cream butter
• sea salt or Kosher salt to taste
• freshly crack peppercorns to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook brats using a conventional charcoal grill, gas grill, or bake them in the oven. When finished cut them into 2″ slices and set aside.
3. Prepare rigatoni pasta following the directions on the package. Strain and place the pasta pack into the stock pot and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
4. In a medium skillet add a 1 tablespoon of EVOO. When the oil is hot, sauté diced green bell peppers for three minutes, stirring constantly. When finished, spoon peppers into a small bowl.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO to the same skillet and sauté the chopped onions until they are translucent. When finished add the onions to the bowl of green peppers.
6. Using a medium sauce pan add 2 jars of Alfredo sauce, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, and minced garlic. Stir over medium-high heat until sauces are fully incorporated. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
7. Brush the bottom and high sides of a casserole dish with EVOO.
8. Add the green peppers, onions, 1 cup of shredded 5-cheese Italian cheese blend, and brats to the pasta and toss well. Spoon the mixture into a large casserole dish.
9. Pour the sauce over the pasta.
10. Add remaining EVOO and 1/2 stick of butter to a large skillet over med-high heat. When the oil and butter mixture is hot add the cubed bread and brown evenly. When the bread is slightly brown evenly distribute the bread on top of the brat casserole.
11. Place the casserole on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
12. If the bread is browning too quickly tent the casserole with a piece of aluminum foil.
13. Remove casserole from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes.
14. Serve.

So what do you think of this easy one-dish casserole? Leave us your thoughts below!

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5 from 1 vote

Creamy & Cheese Brat Casserole

Course Casserole

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Author D. Durand Worthey

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs rigatoni pasta
• ▢ 5 Bratwurst cut into 2" pieces
• ▢ 2 cups of 5-blend Italian cheese
• ▢ 1 large bell pepper diced
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 4-6 cloves of garlic minced or run through a garlic press
• ▢ 3 cups of homemade or store bought Alfredo sauce
• ▢ 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• ▢ 4 slices of day-old artisan bread cubed
• ▢ 4 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 stick of unsalted sweet cream butter
• ▢ sea salt or Kosher salt to taste
• ▢ freshly crack peppercorns to taste

Instructions

• Preheat over to 350 degrees
• Cool brats using a conventional charcoal grill, gas grill of bake them in the oven. When finished cut them into 2" slices and set aside.
• Prepare rigatoni pasta following the directions on the package. Strain and place the pasta pack into the stock pot and toss with 1 1/2 Tbsps of extra virgin olive oil.
• In a medium skillet add a 1 tbsp of EVOO, when the oil is hot sauté diced green bell peppers for three minutes (stirring constantly), when finished spoon peppers into a small bowl.
• Add 1 tbsp of EVOO to the same skillet and sauté the chopped onions until they are translucent. When finished add the onions to the bowl of green peppers.
• Using a medium sauce add two (2) jars of Alfredo sauce and one (1) can of cream of mushroom soup, and minced garlic, stir over medium-high heat until sauces are fully incorporated. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Brush the bottom and high-sides of a casserole dish with EVOO.
• Add the green peppers, onions, 1 cup of shredded 5-chesse Italian cheese blend, and brats to the pasta and toss well. Spoon the mixture into a large casserole dish.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta.
• Add remaining EVOO and 1/2 stick of butter to a large skillet over med-high heat, when the oil/butter mixture is hot add the cubed bread and brown evenly. When the bread is slightly brown scoop cubed brown over the brat casserole.
• Place the casserole on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove casserole from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes.
• Serve.

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