German Style Side Dishes - Potato Salad + Asparagus With Mushrooms & Bacon

Now that fall has arrived, I wanted to celebrate my German heritage by making an authentic German meal. I purchased German bratwurst from the local grocery store and knew Robert would be delighted to cook it on the grill for our family meal over the weekend. We decided to create some traditional German side dishes to complement the bratwurst. Robert suggested that I make my potato salad but with a German twist. German potato salad is typically made with apple cider vinegar, whole-grain mustard, and bacon drippings. I searched for various recipes and added my touch by including some crunch, garlic chives, and parsley. I used a raw red onion, diced, to add the crunch factor to the dish. To make the potato salad creamier than usual, I cooked the potatoes a little further than I normally would. I chose Yukon Gold potatoes, which are waxy and have less starch, to achieve the perfect texture. The result was beyond my expectations, and I would love to make this dish again, perhaps alongside schnitzel.

We had asparagus and crimini mushrooms on hand for an additional side dish. I decided to use the bacon and herbs we had used for the potato salad, as they go well with asparagus and mushrooms. A quick sauté was all that needed to be done, and I added scallions for freshness and balance. This dish is very delicious and would complement most proteins.

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Dressing for the Potato Salad

Preparation - 5 minutes Cook Time - 10 minutes Serving 7-9

• 12 oz Packet of thick-cut bacon
• 1/2 Cup Bacon drippings (grease) at room temperature or warm
• 1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
• 1 Teaspoon black pepper

1. To start, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Flip it once and let it cook until it's crispy and fully cooked. Once done, remove it from the skillet and place it on a few layers of paper towel to drain. Allow it to cool down, then roughly chop it into small pieces and set it aside.
2. Once the drippings reach room temperature, measure 1/2 cup and place into a medium mixing bowl or mason jar.
3. Add the vinegar, stone-ground mustard, and pepper. Shake the mason jar or whisk the liquids together until they are emulsified. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.

Note: If you are preparing the Asparagus and Mushroom dish, make sure to cook twice as much bacon as the above recipe calls for.

Asparagus, Mushrooms, With Bacon

Preparation - 5 minutes Cook Time - 10 minutes Serving 5-7

• 1 lb Asparagus (cut in half lengthwise)
• 8 oz Mushrooms (quartered), we selected Crimini
• 4 Scallions diced with the greens.
• 1/4 Cup parsley roughly chopped
• 3 Tablespoons of garlic chives diced.
• 12 oz Bacon roughly chopped

1. Place the mushrooms in the same skillet you cooked the bacon in. Season with a pinch of salt to help the mushrooms release their liquid. This will enhance their flavor and give them a meaty texture. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat for about 4 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even cooking on all sides.
2. Add the asparagus to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, flipping it midway in the cooking process.
3. Then, add the scallions, herbs, and bacon with a heavy pinch of pepper. Stir everything together, taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve.