Elevate Your Next Grilled Cheese With These 3 German-Style Staples

Grilled cheese sandwiches are among one of the most customizable sandwiches out there, and with fall upon us, you can turn a humble cheese sandwich into something even more hearty. If you're looking for an Oktoberfest/German-themed take on a grilled cheese, there's a few ingredients you can add to your next one: Consider picking up some bratwurst and sauerkraut along with your favorite grilled cheese ingredients.

Once your bratwurst is prepared (there's also pre-cooked bratwurst in the refrigerated section, and typically near the hot dogs), all you need to do is slice them evenly and put them on your bread along with a layer of sauerkraut and cheese. Then prepare the grilled cheese sandwich however you prefer, whether it's a mayo-grilled cheese for extra crispness, or air fryer-grilled cheese (which is better for smaller households). 

If you feel like some extra sharpness, you can think about spreading some whole-grain mustard in there too, which will give you added texture and a sharp contrast to the rich filling of cheese and sausage. This sandwich has everything: It's got juicy and flavorful sausage and tangy and fermented sauerkraut, along with gooey cheese and crisp grilled bread, which is everything you want in a grilled cheese and then some.

If you need ideas for a melting cheese in your sandwich, one of my favorite cheeses for this purpose is German butterkäse, which literally means "butter cheese" in German. As you can guess, a cheese called "butter cheese" is going to be an excellent melter, and in a grilled cheese sandwich, it's perfect. (Try it on a burger, too.) It's mild and nutty, so your bratwurst and sauerkraut will come through front and center. Butterkäse is admittedly tough to find in most markets, so most likely, you'll have to seek it out at a specialty cheese shop. But alternatives I'd recommend include havarti or even Muenster, both of which melt extremely well.

And as for the bread, a hearty rye will do (and bonus points if you can find one with anise-like caraway seeds). Rye has an earthiness that will also give you extra flavor, as opposed to a simple white bread. With all these things put together in a grilled cheese, you'll turn your usual bread-and-cheese combo into a completely new sandwich. And if you're so inclined, this international grilled cheese will pair pretty well with a German beer (which is different from American beers), like a crisp pilsner.