We just got back from Wisconsin and it’s been really hard to get back into the groove of “real” life. I went back for my High School reunion and to see my parents. It was soooo much fun!

Today I just want to share a quick brat burger recipe that I whipped up for Johnsonville. It’s sooo appropriate to be posting this just having been in WI since you all know that I grew up with Johnsonville. I have so many brat stories I can’t possibly count them all. It was just part of life there, and I’m so happy that I can continue that tradition with my own girls now that they’ve gone nationwide.

They sent me some coupons for a new product they have out. It’s basically their brats, italian sausage and cheddarwurst, but in patty form instead of links. I literally couldn’t stop jumping up and down when I heard about it!! Cheddarwurst as a patty?!! (<—funny story…I ran into an old boyfriend from CA a few years ago and he told me that one of things he misses most were those “cheese wieners”!! I didn’t cook at the time but we used to pick them up and toss them on the grill in the summertime). But I couldn’t find this new product anywhere. I was so sad…until I emailed them for help and they said they’d just ship me a box! Which means…that I still have the coupons and I’m keeping a close eye out for when they’re in stock.

I really wanted to do a recipe with the cheddarwurst patties, but they were gone as soon as they arrived. And really, I can’t bring myself to add anything to them. That would be like desecrating something very, very sacred. Next, I spied the Chorizo patties, and I instantly knew what I would do. Which I did, but then we ate all of those so quickly that I never got a photo. But they were soooo good with our toppings – caramelized onion, sliced heirloom tomatoes, chiffonade of basil and crumbled goat cheese. I highly suggest you try them!

Then, we left for Wisconsin, and it wasn’t until we returned that I could attempt to make another burger. This time we used the bratwurst patties, which were so much fun because there are a lot more things you can do with a patty vs. a link. I love bratwurst for breakfast so I decided to do a twist on a more traditional burger. This was really fun to make and even more fun to eat!

This burger was entered into Johnsonville’s No Ordinary Burger Contest. You can enter, too, just follow the link for details!