Slow Cooker Bratwurst Casserole – A Brat Stew Recipe in the Crock Pot

Slow Cooker Bratwurst Casserole is a tasty brat stew recipe with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions cooked in a tasty tomato sauce. This is a great way to use raw, uncooked brats other than on the grill.

Brat Stew

I love a great deal at the grocery store. Often times, I’ll spy packages of raw brats marked down at Aldi. If you’re like me, you’ve probably often wondered how to use up raw brats other than on the grill.

Now, I love a great grilled brat served up in the hotdog bun, but grilling isn’t ideal in the winter here in Indiana. I have in fact used the slow cooker to cook up brats that are served up on buns, but I’ve really been looking for a new way to eat brats.

That’s where this Crock Pot Brat Stew comes in handy. The raw brats are cooked over a yummy stew, very reminiscent of a beef stew, using the slow cooker. Once cooked through, the brats are sliced and then mixed into the stew.

Slow Cooker Bratwurst Casserole

Our dad is currently on the mend from a hip replacement, so I’ve been dropping off some food for our parents. I packaged up half of this crock pot bratwurst casserole, and it went over well at their house.

Mom and dad really liked the flavor of this easy brat casserole. This made me laugh, because the base of the brat stew is that of mom’s 5 Hour Beef Stew Recipe which she has been making for years and years and years.

Essentially, I swapped out the beef cubes for raw brats. I also used cornstarch and cold water to thicken the bratwurst stew right at the end instead of using quick-cooking tapioca like Mom’s typically uses.

Recipe with Bratwurst and Potatoes

This recipe with bratwurst and potatoes is hearty and filling, making it perfect for a cold fall or winter night. There’s just something about a good stew to warm you all the way to your bones.

The second best thing about this slow cooker brat casserole is the aroma that is going to fill your kitchen all afternoon. I love the smells of stew wafting through the house.

It reminds me of growing up on a Sunday afternoon when mom was making stew. By the time, it was actually ready to eat, I was starving because I had been smelling it all day long.

Crock Pot Bratwurst Stew Ingredient List

• Potatoes, diced
• Carrots, diced
• Celery, diced
• Onions, diced
• Bratwurst, raw
• V8 juice (or tomato juice)
• Cornstarch
• Water, cold
• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

How to Make Brat Casserole in the Crock Pot

Step by Step Instructions

1. Dice potatoes, carrots, celery and onions; add to crock pot insert and stir to mix.
2. Place uncooked brats on top the vegetable mixture.
3. Pour V8 over top.
4. Cover and cook on high for 4 – 5 hours (or low for 6 – 8 hours) or until bratwurst are cooked through.
5. Remove brats and slice.
6. Return brats to the crock, stir to mix.
7. Combine cornstarch and cold water, stir into brat stew.
8. Cook on high for an additional 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

For the full recipe amounts and instruction steps, scroll to the bottom of this page on the recipe card. 

Recipe FAQs

• This brat casserole starts with uncooked brats.
• Leave the potato peels on the potatoes, if desired. Just be sure to wash well.
• Regular tomato juice or Bloody Mary Mix could be used instead of V8.
• Substitute flavored bratwurst for original, if desired.
• To make this more of a bratwurst soup, add more V8 to the recipe to thin it out.
• This tastes great as leftovers; consider making it ahead and serving later.
• Check out our Amazon store for our favorite pantry essentials and kitchen items.

Recipe Variations

• Add a can of drained green beans or corn.
• If desired, brown brats in a little oil before adding to the slow cooker.
• Use chicken broth, vegetable broth or beef broth instead of water.
• Add minced garlic!

Unique Crock Pot Recipes

9 x 13 Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole

Crock Pot Cubed Steak with Mashed Potatoes

Slow Cooker Hummingbird Cake

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Pudding