Ingredients:
1 x Pillsbury refrigerated grands buttermilk biscuits (10.2 ounces)
7 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Bratwurst sausages (19 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
For the beer cheese sauce:
1/4 cup beer (I used a Hefeweizen beer for a more traditional Octoberfest theme, but you can use any favorite beer you like)
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard, at room temperature
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded *(from a block or a wheel of cheese, please see note at bottom of recipe), at room temperature
1/2 cup Velvetta cheese, cubed small bite size pieces, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking oil.
2. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuits pieces equally spaced apart in the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes (par baking the biscuit pieces will help keep them from getting soggy, they will bake the rest of the way when you bake the final casserole). Remove pan from oven and set aside for later.
3. In a large bowl whisk eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until combined, set aside for later.
4. In a large pot, filled half way with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, add Bratwurst and cook for 15 minutes. Remove Bratwurst to a paper towel lined large plate, let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut each sausage in half length wise and remove casing, then chop Bratwurst into small bite size pieces. In a large frying pan on medium heat, add olive oil and butter until melted. Add Bratwurst and increase heat to medium high, cook until you get a slight brown caramelization. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Remove Bratwurst and onion to a paper lined large plate.
5. Once Bratwurst and onions have cooled for a few minutes scatter evenly over the biscuits in the casserole pan and then top with the 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top and bake for 40-45 minutes, remove pan from oven to a wire rack to cool.
6. Time to make the beer cheese sauce. This is a super easy to make cheese sauce, but it’s very important that the noted ingredients are at room temperature to be a success. Wipe and clean out the large frying pan with a paper towel. Return frying pan to the stove and preheat on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add beer and heat for 2 minutes, then using a wooden spoon, stir in yellow mustard. Add cheddar and Velvetta cheese, stirring until melted (increase heat if needed). Stir in garlic and cayenne powder. Continue to slowly stir until the sauce thickens like a thin gravy. Spoon and spread the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the ingredients in the casserole dish and serve.
*Note: Store bought shredded cheese contains potato starch and powdered cellulose. It keeps the cheese from clumping and shreds of cheese separate. Using store bought shredded cheese can cause cheese sauces to separate and become grainy, ending in a big pile of failure. By shredding your own cheese from a block or wheel of cheese equals a successful cheese sauce.
Note: This is excellent as leftovers the next day, in fact, again we thought it was better the next day, since all the flavors melded together. The beer cheese sauce is our go to for a stand alone chip dip or even over nachos!