Budget Oktoberfest Party Menu for 10 Guests

This budget Oktoberfest menu is planned for about 10 adults. It starts with Bavarian pretzels and mustard, followed by bratwurst with sauerkraut. Southern German potato salad and apple streusel cake complete the meal.

This complete Oktoberfest menu is planned for about 10 adults at an estimated recipe-use cost of $40 to $59 before drinks.

If I replace the homemade pretzels with two six-count boxes of frozen soft pretzels, the researched supermarket cost is about $7 to $8. That brings the recipe-use total to approximately $45 to $64. Fresh bakery pretzels vary more by store, so I would check the local price before deciding that they are the economical shortcut.

The Budget Menu and Quantities for 10

This is the fixed menu I would plan for about 10 adults. The amounts include a modest cushion because party appetites rarely divide perfectly.

If you need to adjust the portions for children or especially hearty eaters, see my How Much Oktoberfest Food per Person? guide.

Supermarket Swaps That Still Feel German

Bratwurst

In the refrigerated meat case, I start with plain pork bratwurst. I skip cheese-filled or specialty-flavored varieties because this menu does not need the added cost.

Look for uncooked bratwurst rather than precooked “beer brats.” They can cost more and won’t cook the same way as the bratwurst in my recipe.

Among the plain choices, compare the price per pound instead of relying only on the package price. Package weights vary. Once the bratwurst is served with sauerkraut and mustard, the table already has the familiar German character I want.

Sauerkraut

In the shelf-stable vegetable or pickle aisle, I choose plain canned or jarred sauerkraut. Plain refrigerated sauerkraut works too. Sweetened Bavarian-style kraut can become too sweet once the recipe’s apple is added.

Aim for about 8 cups after draining; 7 to 9 cups works for this plan. If only 24-ounce jars are available, buy three. Ordinary broth works as the cooking liquid, so there is no need to purchase a special beer solely for the recipe.

This plan uses 15 bratwurst with about 8 cups of drained sauerkraut for ten adults.

Potatoes

In the produce section, I reach for Yukon Gold or another yellow potato. These potatoes hold their shape while absorbing the warm vinegar dressing.

Very starchy baking potatoes, such as russets, are more likely to crumble as the salad is combined. I would not substitute a mayonnaise-based deli salad because that creates a different dish.

Southern German potato salad with bacon and warm vinegar dressing

Mustard

In the condiment aisle, choose one spicy brown or whole-grain mustard. Put it on the table with the pretzels and bratwurst, reserving a small amount for the potato salad dressing.

One variety is enough. There is no need to buy a separate mustard for each dish.

Consolidated Shopping List

This phone-friendly list covers the fixed menu above, including the ingredients needed for homemade pretzels and cake.

Meat

• 15 plain pork bratwurst
• 1 (12-ounce) package bacon

Produce

• 1 (5-pound) bag Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes
• About 2 pounds apples, for the sauerkraut and cake
• 4 yellow onions
• 1 lemon
• 1 small bunch fresh chives
• 2 garlic cloves, optional

Canned, Jarred, and Packaged

• 2 (28- to 32-ounce) jars plain sauerkraut, or three 24-ounce jars
• 1 (12-ounce) jar spicy brown or whole-grain mustard
• 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken or beef broth
• 1 bottle white wine vinegar

Dairy and Refrigerated

• 1 carton large eggs; the cake uses 2
• 1 pint milk, or the smallest carton available

Baking

• 1 pound butter
• 1 (5-pound) bag all-purpose flour
• 1 (4-pound) bag granulated sugar
• 1 strip active dry yeast, containing three packets
• 1 small box baking soda
• 1 (8.1-ounce) can baking powder

Packaging Shortcuts — Meat and Produce

• Bratwurst: If packages contain five links, buy three packages.
• Bacon: A 12-ounce package provides the 10 ounces used in this plan.
• Potatoes: A five-pound bag provides the planned four pounds.
• Apples: Buy loose apples until the scale reaches about two pounds.

Packaging Shortcuts — Baking

• Flour: One 5-pound bag provides the 6¾ cups needed.
• Sugar: A standard bag provides more than the approximately 1¾ cups used.
• Yeast: Two standard packets provide the tablespoon needed for the pretzels.
• Butter: The combined recipes use about three sticks, so one one-pound box is sufficient.

Check the Pantry First

• Caraway seeds
• Paprika
• Celery seed, optional
• Coarse salt for the pretzel topping
• Cooking oil
• Table salt and black pepper

Prep Timeline

Day Before

Finish the baking so party day is mostly reheating and stovetop cooking.

• Bake the apple streusel cake. Let it cool before covering it.
• Make the pretzels, let them cool, and freeze them for reheating.
• Check that you have suitable bowls and serving utensils; borrow or substitute anything missing.
• Locate a heatproof trivet and confirm that your pan is large enough for the bratwurst and sauerkraut.

Party Morning

Use the morning to cook the potatoes and prepare what you can for later.

• Cook the potatoes until tender. Let them cool enough to peel and slice.
• If you will not finish the salad soon, cover and refrigerate the cooked potatoes instead of leaving them at room temperature.
• Prepare the ingredients for the warm potato salad dressing.
• Measure the caraway and paprika.
• Make sure the sauerkraut and broth are ready.
• Slice and refrigerate the onion, but leave the apple whole until closer to cooking time.

Set the empty serving dishes and utensils on the cleared buffet surface.

About One Hour Before Serving

Use the final hour for the bratwurst and sauerkraut while the potato salad comes together.

• Start heating the oven early enough that it will be ready for the pretzels.
• Brown the bratwurst and cook it with the sauerkraut.
• Use a large Dutch oven or two skillets rather than crowding 15 sausages into one small pan.
• Slice the apples shortly before adding them to the sauerkraut mixture.
• Finish the warm dressing and combine it with the potatoes.

The bratwurst takes the most attention at the last minute. Have everything else finished or ready to reheat before that final hour begins.

Shortly Before Serving

• Reheat the pretzels until warmed through and slightly firm again on the outside.
• Set the plates at the start of the buffet and leave space for the Dutch oven.
• Place the potato salad next, with the pretzels and mustard at the end.
• Move the Dutch oven onto its heatproof trivet in the reserved space.

Leave the cake covered until dessert. Cut it into 16 pieces before taking it to the table if it was not sliced earlier.

The bratwurst is the main live cooking task. Everything else should be finished or ready for reheating before that final hour begins.

For the complete presentation and more serving ideas, see my German Oktoberfest Party Menu.