Oktoberfest Potato Stacks

These scrumptious Oktoberfest potato stacks are loaded with all the flavors you'll find in an Oktoberfest celebration. Prepared with golden, roasted slices of russet potatoes, tangy sauerkraut, savory smoked sausage, and beer-braised onions, my recipe is a deliciously festive two-bite appetizer!

A savory appetizer with an Oktoberfest twist

There's something super fun, cozy, and festive about Oktoberfest celebrations. All of the celebrations that I've attended are simply full of glee and merriment. It's a wonderful celebration of a heritage and offers an opportunity to partake of tasty food and drink. What's not to love?

And while you'll often find community-organized Oktoberfest celebrations, many folks enjoy throwing their own Oktoberfest get-togethers. The beer flows abundantly and the sizzling sausage sputters away, perhaps with a side of sauerkraut and savory onions to accompany it.

Such festivity and food is what has inspired these whimsical little Oktoberfest potato stacks of mine. They're a fun and delicious two-bite appetizer to pass around and enjoy for your own celebration, or simply because you're craving those mouthwatering flavors of Oktoberfest!

My recipe for Oktoberfest potato stacks

What I utterly love about these cute little potato stacks is that each and every bite has all the wonderful flavors of Oktoberfest, and they're easy to make!

I love to use a tender, golden slice of roasted potato as the base, then top each with a sprinkle of sauerkraut, some smoked sausage, plus mouthwatering, sweet and savory beer-braised onions.

The only cooking required is to simply roast the potato slices. While the potatoes roast, you sear the smoked sausage and prepare the beer-braised onions.

Then, all that's left is to stack the components to create these festive, two-bite treats, perfect for passing around!

Here's a glance at my Oktoberfest potato stacks recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I slice and prepare the russet potatoes, then place them into the oven to roast until golden-brown and tender (about 40 minutes).
2. While the potato slices roast, I caramelize my sliced smoked sausage in a hot heavy-bottom pan, then remove them and set aside.
3. Into those delicious drippings I add in my sliced onion until caramelized and golden.
4. Next, I pour in a touch of beer and allow it to reduce and coat the onions.
5. Then, I add the sausage back into the pan and keep warm.
6. Finally, I assemble the stacks, and serve!

Recipe

Oktoberfest Potato Stacks

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These Oktoberfest potato stacks are topped with sauerkraut, smoked sausage and beer-braised onions for loads of festive flavor in each bite!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: German-American

Yield: 12 potato stacks

Nutrition Info: 196 calories (per 2 potato stacks)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes (to roast potato slices)
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, narrower ends cut off, and sliced into 12 (½ inch thick) slices
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 6 ounces beef smoked sausage, sliced into 24 fairly thin slices
• 2 small white onions, sliced thinly
• ½ cup lager beer (or your preferred variety)
• ¾ cup sauerkraut, drained of juices
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat your oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Next, place your potato slices in a bowl, and drizzle with a small amount (about 2 teaspoons) of the olive oil, plus a good sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Place the potato slices in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for about 40 minutes, or until slightly golden and tender (I flip mine over halfway through the roasting).
4. While the potato slices roast, place a cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottom pan over high heat, and drizzle in a small amount of the olive oil (about 1-2 teaspoons). Once hot, add in the sliced sausage and caramelize for a few minutes until golden, then remove from the pan for a moment.
5. Into that same hot skillet, add in a touch more oil (if needed) and the sliced onions, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stirring frequently, allow the onions to caramelize and become golden-brown and soft, about 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Once soft and caramelized, pour the beer into the onions and allow it to bubble up and reduce down until the onions become slightly sticky, about 1 minute or so. Then, add the sliced sausage back into the pan and stir it into the onions to combine.
7. To assemble the Oktoberfest potato stacks, place your potato slices onto a serving board or platter, and top each one with about 1 tablespoon of the sauerkraut, next a couple of the sausage slices, then some of the beer-braised onions.
8. Sprinkle over some parsley, and serve warm.

Tips & tidbits for my Oktoberfest potato stacks recipe:

• Simple smoked sausage, or your favorite kind: Because of how easy it is to slice and brown beef smoked sausage, and how flavorful it is, I like to use it for this recipe. However, you can certainly use bratwurst, or your preferred kind of sausage.
• Russet potatoes as a sturdy base: I like russet potatoes for these stacks because they're nice and sturdy to pick up and take a bite from, and they yield a large slice. Plus, they have a lovely potato flavor and a bit more starch, so they can stand up to the sauerkraut, beer-braised onions, and sausage.
• Use good beer, or skip it altogether to go non-alcoholic: I love a nice German lager to add into the onions to finish them off, but your favorite beer will be just fine. Alternatively, you can use a non-alcoholic beer, or even omit the beer altogether if you prefer. Simply caramelize the onions until a deep, golden brown.
• Prep these potato stacks ahead: The beer-braised onion and sausage mixture can be prepped the day before and simply reheated in a pan when you're ready to make the potato stacks. You would simply roast your potato slices and add your sauerkraut to a bowl the day you'd like to serve them.

Hungry for more comfy-cozy potato recipes? Check out my recipe for Oktoberfest Potato Skins, Warm German Potato Salad, Potato Cakes, Oktoberfest Stew with Lager and Smoked Sausage, Stilton Roasted Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes with Crispy Parmesan Crust, Stuffed Baked Potatoes, or even my recipe for Cheesy Potatoes!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!