We spend Sundays at Becky’s parents house for dinner and a little boating. We have done this for as long as I can remember. I usually do the grilling, her mom does the cooking, her dad gets the boat ready and Becky takes care of the kids (they usually go swimming in the pool while the rest of us get everything ready).
We normally go for the basic grilling foods, but I wanted to partner with Johnsonville for this sponsored post and up my grilling game this summer to celebrate with Johnsonville Brats.
If you haven’t noticed, I have been cooking a lot of Johnsonville meats lately- they just seem to cook the best & hold their flavor (the flavors are already packed in the sausage.)
They have both fully-cooked and fresh – available in a wide variety of flavors from Original to Cheddar to Jalapeno & Cheddar (Beau’s favorite).
This weekend, we created our own early Bratsgiving on the lake. August 16 (Becky’s Birthday) is National Bratwurst Day and Johnsonville is celebrating by creating Bratsgiving… a reminder to grill out with family and friends and eat a great gift of brats together.
I made Johnsonville Brats with sweet and spicy peppers. My brother-in-law and his family joined us, too. Between the 12 of us, it was a tradition that we will continue. Everyone loved the food.
THREE GRILLING TIPS:
1- Don’t pierce the brats (before or during cooking). It will let the juices escape, so it is better to keep all of the flavor locked inside, ready for the first bite.
2- Start the grill on high, to get a sear on the brats. Turn it down to medium low until they are cooked through. 
3- Let them rest.
After you pull the brats off of the grill, let them sit for five minutes, to lock the juices in, before you serve it.
I served ours on Brats Buns (yes, they make those!) and we each had one:
I even told the kids the story that Johnsonville compiled about Carl the Great Bratsgiver, who went from house to house on Bratsgiving Eve spreading joy of the holiday (and he leaves brats in each house he visit.)
The kids laughed, of course… and then they asked me to tell it again! Plus, it made them all want to dig into dinner!
Don’t forget to leave your kitchen window open on Bratsgiving Eve so that Carl the Great Bratsgiver can leave behind some delicious brats in your fridge!
And my favorite shot of the night (Allie eating her favorite food): 
Find more great recipes from Johnsonville here:
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jvillesausage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Johnsonville
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jvillesausage
Now it’s your turn to invite friends over and host a Bratsgiving Brat Frys in your backyard to celebrate the holiday.
Key Messages:
- August 16 is National Bratwurst Day and Johnsonville is celebrating by creating Bratsgiving, a call to action to gather around the grill with family and friends to give the delicious gift of Brats.
- Celebrate Bratsgiving with Johnsonville this season and up your grilling with a variety of Johnsonville bratwursts – both fully-cooked and fresh – available in a wide variety of flavors from Original to Cheddar to Jalapeno & Cheddar.
- Give your friends and family the gift of Brats by hosting your own Bratsgiving Brat Frys in your backyard to celebrate the holiday.
- Don’t forget to leave your kitchen window open on Bratsgiving Eve so that Carl the Great Bratsgiver can leave behind some delicious brats in your fridge.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
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