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Main Dish

Main Dishes in Germany are usually served for the midday meal, reserving the evening meal for lighter fare such as breads with various meats and/or cheeses. In other parts of the world, the German main dishes make perfect dinner entrées.

Bouletten – German Hamburger Patty Recipe

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Bouletten are a Berlin specialty, often eaten cold with mustard. They can also be served warm with peas or red cabbage, and boiled potatoes for a heartier meal.

Difficulty: easy
Preparation Time: about 1 hour
Portions: 6 – 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 rolls or slices of bread (stale is fine)
  • 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/2 pound chopped beef
  • 1/2 pound chopped pork
  • 1/2 pound chopped veal
  • OR you can use 1 1/2 pounds of meatloaf mix
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp. Freshly chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. Oil

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Bean & Pork Sausage Ragout (Eintopf) Recipe

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This is a good one pot stew for cold nights. Serve with some warmed, crusty bread on the side.

  • 1 pound of ground pork
  • 1 small onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 15 ounce can, crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can of white kidney beans
  • 1 can, chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup, sauerkraut
  • 1 Tbsp basil, fresh ground
  • 1/2 cup dry macaroni
  • 1/2 cup, romano cheese, grated

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Schwäbische Maultaschen – Swabian Ravioli Recipe

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A savory Maultaschen that is a meat lovers dream. Great hearty meal for the cold winter months, and based on the Swabian version of minced meat Maultaschen.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 1 hour.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:Schwäbische Maultaschen

Dough

  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 4 eggs
  • salt to taste

Filling

Kohlrouladen – Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

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This is a German staple food, and can be found at most restaurants.  The cabbage leaves are carefully parboiled and then stuffed with a seasoned ground meat mixture.  Serve with boiled potatoes for a hearty meal. (Adapted from In-Berlin-Brandenburg.com.)

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 2 hours.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

  • 1 white cabbage
  • 1 stale bread roll
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pint chicken or beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream

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Berliner Currywurst – Knockwurst in Curry Sauce Recipe

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Anyone that has been to a German city, particularly Berlin, will know that you can’t walk a block without finding an Imbiss (food stand or cart) or pub, that serves Currywurst.  It is the best fast food, that only requires a plastic toothpick to eat. And it is also super easy to make at home.

To make this authentic in appearance and taste, knockwurst is the best to use.  However, I have made it with hot dogs to great effect.  As a German vegetarian recipe option, why not try soy dogs?  The typical side dish to serve this with is french fries, or Pommes.  I make my own, but you could also buy bagged for an even quicker meal.

Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:currywurst_pommes

  • 1 package of knockwurst (5 links) OR 1 package of hot dogs
  • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

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Kartoffelpuffer – German Potato Pancakes Recipe

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I LOVE these! There are a little bit of work, but well worth it.  Try them with some sugar sprinkled on top or applesauce (my personal favorite). Yum!

Difficulty: normal.
Preparation Time: over 1 hour
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:kartoffelpuffer

  • 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 – 1 cup flour (if potatoes are dry, use less, wet, use more)
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • vegetable oil or butter, or a mixture of both (for frying)

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Vegetarische Gefüllte Paprikaschoten – Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe

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I concocted this myself, while attempting to add variety to my list of South Beach Diet (low carb) recipes.  This comes out very good, and is very filling. The great thing is, you can easily adjust seasonings to suit your taste. Like spicier food? Jazz it up with a dash of hot sauce and some paprika.  More Italian? Add some fresh basil and oregano. The possibilities are endless! And a plus is, kids like it. It’s messy, fun, and they don’t know it’s healthy. Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  1 hour
Servings: 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of dry lentils (I like to use bagged lentils, but two cans should do the trick too.)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
  • 6 small, or 4 large green peppers
  • Optional: You can add chopped tomatoes, peppers, or other veggies into the stuffing mixture for bulk. You can also add rice. I recommend brown, since it blends with the flavor of the lentils nicely.  You can also top with cheese towards the end of baking.

Read more Vegetarische Gefüllte Paprikaschoten – Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe ›

Königsberger Klopse – Meat Dumpling Recipe

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A popular dish in Northern Germany, with abundant use in Berlin pubs, particularly. Much simpler than one might think based on the ingredients.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stale bread roll (in a pinch, use breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 pound ground meat, preferably half pork, half beef
  • 1 small, finely chopped onion
  • 4 finely chopped anchovy filets
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups meat stock
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, or light sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

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Senf-Hähnchen-Gulasch – Mustard Chicken Goulash Recipe

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This is a tasty way to serve chicken and vegetables. Germans love different variations of gulasch, and this is one of my favorites. This can be served with boiled potatoes or noodles, and a steamed vegetable.

Difficulty: moderate
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Portions: 4

Ingredients:Mustard Chicken Goulash

  • 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), cut into small chunks
  • 1 onion, small, minced
  • 1 red or yellow pepper, large, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 3 tbsp. canola oil
  • salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • white pepper
  • 3 tbsp. mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 tbsp. fat free sour cream
  • cornstarch for thickening

Read more Senf-Hähnchen-Gulasch – Mustard Chicken Goulash Recipe ›

Paprikahühnchen – Chicken with Paprika Sauce Recipe

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This is a fairly simple, yummy dish. It is also forgiving. The picture you see is a version I did with leftover turkey (sloppy looking, but yummy). You can also add mushrooms, or mix peas in the sauce, etc.

This is now a staple in Germany, but was adopted from Hungary.

Difficulty: easy
Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Portions: 4

Chicken with Paprika Sauce

Ingredients:

  • chicken or turkey, 3 breasts cut in chunks, or 2 – 3 cups if using leftovers
  • salt
  • 1/2 c. butter or margarine
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1 tbs sweet paprika
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1 cup sour cream

Read more Paprikahühnchen – Chicken with Paprika Sauce Recipe ›