Alright, let’s talk about sides for brats. It’s funny how you get stuck in a rut, right? For years, whenever I grilled brats, it was just sauerkraut from a jar and maybe some potato chips. Done. Easy. But honestly, kinda boring after the fiftieth time.
Then last summer, we had a last-minute cookout thing. My buddy Dave called, said he and his wife were swinging by with some really good local brats they picked up. Felt like I had to step up my game a bit, couldn’t just plop down a bag of Ruffles and call it a day. Panic mode slightly engaged, I’ll admit.
So, I went rummaging through the fridge and pantry. What goes good with smoky, juicy brats? Needed something tangy, something maybe a little creamy, something with a bit of crunch.
Figuring It Out On the Fly
First thing I grabbed was cabbage. I always have cabbage, cheap and lasts forever. Decided right then, gonna make a proper coleslaw, not the soupy stuff. I shredded that cabbage, grated some carrots real fine. For the dressing, I didn’t have a recipe memorized, so I just started mixing stuff. Mayo, a splash of vinegar (apple cider vinegar felt right), bit of sugar, salt, pepper, maybe a tiny squirt of mustard? Tasted it. Not bad. Let that sit in the fridge to meld.
Next, potatoes. Had a bag of little red potatoes. Potato salad seemed like a classic move. Boiled those suckers up. While they were cooking, chopped some celery, a little red onion super fine. Once the potatoes were tender, drained ’em, let ’em cool just a bit, then kinda roughly chopped them. Mixed it all up with mayo again (yeah, mayo’s my go-to, sue me), more mustard (dijon this time), salt, pepper, dash of paprika on top for color. Felt pretty good about that one.
Then I saw some corn on the cob sitting there. Easy win. Husked ’em, brushed ’em with a little melted butter mixed with chili powder and salt. Decided I’d throw those on the grill alongside the brats later.
The Result? Pretty Damn Good.
So Dave shows up, we fire up the grill. Brats sizzling, corn getting those nice char marks. I pulled out the slaw and the potato salad I’d made earlier.
- The coleslaw was crunchy and tangy, cut right through the richness of the brat. Huge improvement over just sauerkraut.
- The potato salad was creamy, hearty, just classic cookout food. Can’t really go wrong there.
- And the grilled corn? Sweet, smoky, little bit of spice from the chili powder. Perfect.
Honestly, it wasn’t rocket science, just took actually doing it instead of grabbing the easiest option. We sat out back, ate those brats piled high with the sides, drank a few beers. Felt like a proper meal, you know? Way better than just chips. Sometimes you just gotta put in that little extra effort, makes all the difference. Haven’t gone back to just chips and kraut since.
