Brats in a Blanket

 

I am eternally grateful to the Germans for all of the wonderful things they have engineered. Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Leica, Sennheiser, Bosch, Zwilling J. A. Henckels...to name a few. I am especially grateful to the unknown butcher in Nuremberg who blended beef, veal, pork and spices to engineer the first bratwurst sausage in 1313 AD. Fast forward to 2021 and there are 1500+ different types of bratwurst available around the world. But I find that even those ubiquitous Johnsonville brats can put a big, huge honkin' smile on my face.

This Christine Gallary recipe requires that the brats be pre-cooked. So you can grill them, smoke them or simmer them in beer. You can even take the lazy way out by buying them from your grocery store pre-cooked. Any way works as long as the brats are pre-cooked and at room temperature (so give them 30-60 minutes of kitchen countertop time before you start). "Everything Bagel Spice" is readily available at Costco and Amazon.

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg

1, 8-ounce can of refrigerated crescent roll dough

4 tablespoons whole-grain mustard, divided

4 fully cooked bratwurst sausages, at room temperature 

2 teaspoons Everything Bagel Spice

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. Crack egg in a small bowl and whisk until no streaks of white remain.
3. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 4 rectangles (2 triangles each). Press on the seams in each rectangle to seal. Spread 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard on each rectangle.
4. Place one bratwurst sausage on the short end of each rectangle. Starting at the end with the bratwurst, roll up tightly. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Brush the top and sides of each one with the egg wash. Sprinkle each one with Everything Bagel Spice.
5. Bake until deep golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Pairing: An Ice Cold German Pilsner