11 Cozy German Dinners That Feel Like a Night at Oma’s Table

As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, there is nothing better than hearty, stick to your ribs comfort food. German cooks have perfected that kind of cooking. Think tender braised beef, crispy roast pork, golden sausages, creamy potato soup and tangy sauerkraut, all served in big portions with plenty of gravy. German dinners are not fancy, but they are made with love and time. Grab a big plate and a warm sweater, because Oma would want you to have seconds..

Rinderrouladen, the Sunday Star of German Dinners

Ask a German what Oma made on special Sundays and many will say rouladen. Thin slices of beef are spread with mustard, then rolled up around bacon, onion and a pickle, browned and braised for hours in a rich red wine gravy. They are served with sweet and sour red cabbage and fluffy potato dumplings that soak up every drop of sauce. It is one of the most loved German dinners for a reason. Would you save this for a holiday or make it this Sunday?

You will need: 6 thin slices top round beef (about 1/4 inch), 3 tablespoons German mustard, 6 slices bacon, 1 onion (finely chopped), 3 dill pickles (cut into spears), 2 tablespoons oil, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 cup red wine or extra broth, 2 cups beef broth, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch, salt, pepper.

How to make it: 1. Season the beef, spread with mustard, and top with bacon, onion and a pickle spear. 2. Roll up tightly and close with toothpicks or string. 3. Brown the rolls in oil, then add carrot, celery and tomato paste. 4. Pour in wine and broth, add the bay leaf, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. 5. Remove the rolls, blend and thicken the gravy, then serve with red cabbage and dumplings.

Schweinshaxe, Crispy Roast Pork Knuckle

This is the dish that Munich beer halls are famous for. A whole pork knuckle is slowly roasted until the meat falls off the bone and the skin turns into crackling that shatters when you cut it. It is big, bold and meant for a hungry appetite. Serve it with sauerkraut, potato dumplings and mustard. Would you dare to order the whole knuckle for yourself?

You will need: 2 pork knuckles (hocks, fresh), 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 garlic cloves, 2 cups broth or dark beer, mustard, sauerkraut.

How to make it: 1. Rub the knuckles with salt, caraway and pepper. 2. Put them in a roasting pan with chopped onions, carrots and garlic. 3. Add broth and roast covered at 325F for 2 1/2 hours. 4. Uncover, raise the heat to 450F and roast 30 minutes until the skin crackles. 5. Strain the pan juices for gravy and serve.

Currywurst for Fun and Easy German Dinners

Currywurst was invented in Berlin in 1949 and it is still loved all over Germany. Grilled sausages are sliced and smothered in a sweet, tangy ketchup sauce spiced with curry powder, then dusted with even more curry. Serve it with crispy fries for one of the most fun German dinners. It is fast, cheap and kids love it. Fries or a bread roll on the side?

You will need: 4 bratwurst or pork sausages, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 small onion (minced), 1 tablespoon curry powder plus extra, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, fries.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onion in oil until soft. 2. Add curry powder and paprika for 30 seconds. 3. Stir in ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar and water and simmer 10 minutes. 4. Grill or pan fry the sausages until browned. 5. Slice, cover with sauce, dust with curry powder and serve with fries.

Flammkuchen, German Flatbread

Flammkuchen comes from the border region near France, where bakers once used the hot oven to bake a thin dough before the bread. It is topped with creamy sour cream, thin onions and smoky bacon and baked until crisp and bubbly. It is like pizza but lighter and faster. Cut it into squares for an easy Friday dinner. Classic bacon, or would you try it with mushrooms or apples?

You will need: 1 pound pizza dough, 1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream, 1 small onion (very thinly sliced), 6 ounces bacon (diced), pepper, nutmeg, chives, flour.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 500F with a pizza stone or tray inside. 2. Roll the dough very thin on a floured surface. 3. Spread with creme fraiche and season with pepper and nutmeg. 4. Scatter onion and bacon on top. 5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until crispy and finish with chives.

Bratwurst With Sauerkraut, the Simplest of German Dinners

A plate of bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard is one of the simplest German dinners and one of the best. The sausages are browned until crispy, then nestled into sauerkraut that simmers with onion, apple and a little caraway until mellow and sweet. Add mashed potatoes or a crusty roll and dinner is done in 30 minutes. Sweet mustard or spicy mustard?

You will need: 6 bratwurst, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 onion (sliced), 1 apple (grated), 1 jar (24 ounces) sauerkraut (drained), 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 bay leaf, 1 cup broth or apple juice, mustard, mashed potatoes or rolls.

How to make it: 1. Brown the bratwurst in a large skillet and set aside. 2. Melt butter and cook the onion until soft. 3. Add apple, sauerkraut, caraway, bay leaf and broth. 4. Nestle the sausages in and simmer covered for 20 minutes. 5. Serve with mustard and potatoes or rolls.

Maultaschen, Swabian Stuffed Pasta

Maultaschen are big pasta pockets from southern Germany stuffed with ground meat, spinach, onion and herbs. There is a funny story that monks hid meat inside pasta so no one would see it during Lent. They are served in broth or sliced and pan fried with onions and eggs. Store bought ones work too. Would you eat them in soup or pan fried?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, water, salt. Filling: 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground beef, 1 cup cooked spinach (chopped), 1 onion (minced), 1 bread roll (soaked and squeezed), 1 egg, parsley, nutmeg, salt, pepper. 6 cups beef broth, chives.

How to make it: 1. Make a stiff dough from flour, eggs, a little water and salt and rest 30 minutes. 2. Mix all the filling ingredients. 3. Roll the dough thin, spread filling on half and fold over. 4. Press lines every 3 inches and cut into pockets. 5. Simmer in broth for 15 minutes and serve with chives.

Kartoffelsuppe, Creamy Potato Soup

German potato soup is a bowl of pure comfort for cold nights. Potatoes, carrots, celery root and leeks simmer in broth with marjoram until soft, then part of it is blended so it turns creamy without lots of cream. Sliced sausages often go in at the end, making it a full meal. Serve with dark bread and butter. Is soup dinner enough for your family, or do they need bread too?

You will need: 2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cubed), 2 carrots, 1 cup celery root or 2 celery stalks, 1 leek, 2 tablespoons butter, 6 cups broth, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup cream, 4 hot dogs or smoked sausages (sliced), parsley, salt, pepper.

How to make it: 1. Melt butter and cook the leek, carrots and celery for 8 minutes. 2. Add potatoes, broth, marjoram and bay leaf. 3. Simmer 25 minutes until soft. 4. Remove the bay leaf and blend about half the soup. 5. Stir in cream and sausages, heat through and add parsley.

Schweinebraten, the Sunday Roast of German Dinners

In Bavaria, Schweinebraten is the classic Sunday roast. A pork shoulder is rubbed with garlic, caraway and mustard, then roasted on a bed of onions and root vegetables with broth until tender. The pan juices become a dark, glossy gravy. Serve with dumplings and cabbage for one of the most satisfying German dinners. Who gets to pour the gravy at your table?

You will need: 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard, salt, pepper, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 1 cup celery root, 2 cups broth or dark beer, 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

How to make it: 1. Rub the pork with garlic, caraway, mustard, salt and pepper. 2. Set it on chopped onions and vegetables in a roasting pan. 3. Add 1 cup broth and roast at 350F for 2 hours, adding broth as needed. 4. Rest the meat 15 minutes. 5. Strain the juices, thicken with cornstarch and serve with the sliced pork.

Zwiebelrostbraten, Steak With Crispy Onions

Zwiebelrostbraten is a simple but special German dinner from the south. A thick steak is seared and served with a rich brown gravy and a big pile of crispy fried onions on top. It is usually eaten with boiled potatoes, spaetzle or buttery vegetables. It is a great choice when you want something quick but a little fancy. Crispy onions or caramelized onions on top?

You will need: 4 sirloin or rib eye steaks, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 onions (thinly sliced), 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup oil for frying, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup beef broth, 1 teaspoon mustard, boiled potatoes.

How to make it: 1. Toss the onion rings in flour and fry in hot oil until golden, then drain. 2. Season and sear the steaks 3 to 4 minutes per side and rest. 3. Melt butter in the pan and whisk in a little flour. 4. Add broth and mustard and simmer 3 minutes. 5. Pour gravy over the steaks and top with the crispy onions.

Kassler, Smoked Pork Chops

Kassler is a cured and smoked pork chop that you will find in every German butcher shop. Because it is already smoked, it only needs a quick sear or gentle bake, which makes it a fast weeknight dinner. It goes perfectly with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and mustard. If you love ham, you will love this. Want more hearty comfort food? See our Eastern European dinners. Have you ever tried a smoked pork chop?

You will need: 4 smoked pork chops (Kassler), 1 tablespoon butter, 1 onion (sliced), 1 jar (24 ounces) sauerkraut (drained), 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 teaspoon caraway, mashed potatoes, mustard.

How to make it: 1. Melt butter and cook the onion until soft. 2. Add sauerkraut, apple juice and caraway and simmer 10 minutes. 3. Lay the chops on top. 4. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes until heated through. 5. Serve with mashed potatoes and mustard.

Biergarten Night, the Most Social of German Dinners

Some of the best German dinners happen outdoors in a biergarten, where friends share pretzels, sausages, radishes and a creamy cheese spread called obatzda at long wooden tables. Bring that feeling home with a big board and plenty of good company. A cold drink of your choice is all you need. So which German dinner will you make first: A) rouladen B) bratwurst C) currywurst D) pork knuckle?

You will need: 4 soft pretzels, 8 ounces ripe Camembert or brie, 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1/2 small onion (minced), 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, pinch of caraway, chives, radishes, pickles, sliced sausages.

How to make it: 1. Mash the Camembert with a fork. 2. Mix in cream cheese, butter, onion, paprika and caraway. 3. Chill 30 minutes and top with chives. 4. Warm the pretzels in the oven for 5 minutes. 5. Arrange everything on a board with radishes, pickles and sausages.