This weekend we decided to have our own Oktoberfest celebration at home.  We decided if we can’t celebrate it in World Showcase’s Germany Pavilion, we could bring a little Biergarten to our house.  We love beer and brats no matter the season, but German Nudel Gratin, a treat we usually only enjoy in Epcot, would add just the right touch to our celebration. And make us feel that much closer to our next Disney vacation.

Epcot’s Germany Pavilion – Nudel Gratin at Home

As usual, the application of my mad Google skills payed off with the recipe I needed.  Nudel Gratin is the German version of mac & cheese and calls for the addition of eggs which give the sauce a more custard-like consistency.  Swiss cheese and nutmeg add the flavors that elevate this dish to its happy-memories-of-Epcot deliciousness.

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Joseph, taking our Oktoberfest theme to heart, decided we needed more. Appetizers and dessert, to be specific and he got busy making dough, because baking is his specialty. All those hours spent watching the Great British Baking Show have not go to waste. For starters, Joe chose pretzels and beer cheese dip. For dessert, caramel apple rolls. The pretzel making turned into a fun group activity and before long, we were scarfing down some warm delicious pretzels covered in tasty gooey cheese dip.  

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After assembling my ingredients and with a little help from my favorite egg producers, I assembled the Nudel Gratin.  The recipe is easy, but total prep time is a little more than an hour.  Joseph tossed together some crispy, vinegar-y cabbage and apple slaw and while the Gratin was in the oven, I cooked up some brats. First I browned them, then tossed some beer in the pan, covered those brats up and let them cook through.  Once our cheesy side dish was ready to serve, it was time for our Oktoberfest-ival. 

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Everything was scrumptious! We were so full, we put off dessert for an hour so we could appreciate those caramel apple rolls to the fullest. Joseph made the caramel rum sauce from scratch and its sweet buttery-ness was the perfect topping for those rolls. We considered our Oktoberfest a resounding (and fattening) success!

Have you made any Disney recipes at home lately? How’d it go?