Cheddar Bratwurst Meatballs are homemade bratwurst meatballs stuffed with gooey cheddar cheese. Serve with three, easy dipping sauces!
Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing, or possibly a German heritage thing, but one of my favorite foods is bratwurst. I grew up eating them weekly in the summertime, and will never forget the near foot long grilled brat my host family served me in Germany when I was staying in the country as a teenager for a choir trip.
Snappy, sizzling, savory — SO DELICIOUS!
Since my grill is currently buried under 4 inches of snow, I decided to squash a bratwurst craving with homemade Cheddar Bratwurst Meatballs complete with 3 homemade dipping sauces.
Trust me when I tell you that homemade, cheddar cheese-stuffed bratwurst meatballs are a total upgrade from grilled brats!
Cheddar-Stuffed Bratwurst Meatballs
Before you go thinking that I squished fresh bratwurst from their casings then rolled the mixture into meatballs — let me stop you right there.
Cheddar Bratwurst Meatballs are made with ground pork and a handful of everyday herbs and spices to create a homemade brat mixture that taste store bought (that’s a very good thing!)
Stuffed with a molten, cheddar cheese center then served with a plethora of homemade yet EASY dipping sauces, each bite is a delight!
Start by adding 1lb ground pork, 1 whisked egg, 1/2 cup gluten-free panko-style bread crumbs (or Rice Chex that have been pulverized in the food processor,) and a homemade bratwurst seasoning mix into a large bowl then mix with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.
Next slice 2oz cheddar cheese into 16 cubes by slicing 1/4 of an 8oz block of cheddar cheese into 4 slices then giving the cheese a quarter turn and cutting the slices into 4 slices going the other direction to create 16 cubes. #mathwhiz
Divide the meatball mixture into quarters then form four balls from each quarter. Stuff a cube of cheese into each meatball then pinch to seal and roll into a ball with your hands.
Place the meatballs onto a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet then bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the Cheddar Brat Meatballs are baking, whip up three easy dipping sauces – Stadium Dipping Sauce, Bourbon-Dijon Dipping Sauce, and Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce. Recipes are below!
Like I said, each dipping sauce is made up of 3 ingredients or less, and they’re all fridge and liquor cabinet (muwahaha!) staples. The Bourbon-Dijon Dipping Sauce is just Dijon mustard combined with honey and bourbon. I want to take a bath in it.
The Stadium Dipping Sauce is ketchup mixed with BBQ sauce and a little yellow mustard, while the Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce is even easier, calling for just spicy brown mustard and Creole seasoning. Try one, two, or heck, try them all!
Best of all is the Cheddar Brat Meatballs and dipping sauces can all be made ahead of time. Roll the meatballs then cover and refrigerate overnight, and then pop into the oven during the pre-game show so they’ll be hot for kickoff. I know you’ll love these – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup gluten free panko-style breadcrumbs, or pulverized Rice Chex
- 2 oz cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
For the seasoning mix:
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Stadium Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Bourbon-Dijon Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1-1/2 teaspoons bourbon
Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees then line a baking sheet with foil, spray with nonstick spray, and then set aside.
- Add ingredients for seasoning mix into a large mixing bowl then stir to combine. Add bread crumbs then stir to combine, and then add egg and crumble ground pork on top. Mix using your hands until well combined.
- Divide meatball mixture into quarters, then each quarter into four meatballs. Stuff a cube of cheese into the center of each meatball then pinch to close, roll into a ball, and place onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining meat mixture and cheese. Bake meatballs for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through, then serve with dipping sauces.
For the Dipping Sauces:
- Combine ingredients in three separate bowls then serve. Can all be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
Notes
- Estimated nutrition information is for meatballs only.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made these with ground turkey for a Super Bowl gathering and they turned out great. I followed the recipe, other than subbing in the turkey for pork, and then transferred the meatballs to a crockpot to keep them warm through the game. I only experienced minor cheese leakage with the initial baking and they help up well in the crockpot for several hours.
I’m so glad you loved them, Shelley! Good to know they work with ground turkey, too. :)
We love these and your Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs! They’re great for parties or, like tonight, apps for dinner — my husband’s favorite kind of meal. ????
Love that idea – apps for dinner! My kids love “snack plates” so this feels like that for adults. :) Love it!
These look great! Planning on making three of your recipes for SuperBowl Sunday, so thank you for that!
I was wondering if I could form the meatballs themselves ahead of time, and then cook them the day-off? Do you think that would work or would it change the texture of the meatballs too much? Thank you!
Sounds like a tasty menu, Amanda! Should be no problem at all to shape the meatballs ahead of time. I’d let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking to ensure they cook evenly all the way through.
Made these for a family get together last night, I made 1 1/2 recipes and they disappeared in about 5 minutes, the only issue I need to be more careful sealing in the cheese, some of it leaked out, thank you for the recipe. No one last night was gluten free, but my DIL is so will make them for her for sure.
My whole family loved these. Easy make ahead appetizer.
Love hearing that, Krista! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!