🇩🇪 Tasty Tuesday – Eltmann & Bamberg, Germany
Allie Ketcham • August 25, 2026
🇩🇪 Tasty Tuesday – Eltmann & Bamberg, Germany
Bamberg-Style Suffed Onions Perfect with Ketcham Pinot Noir
Our European river cruise continues through beautiful Franconia with a stop in Eltmann and nearby Bamberg, a city celebrated for its medieval charm, centuries-old gardening traditions, and distinctive regional cuisine. Bamberg is especially famous for its onions and Rauchbier, or smoked beer, making this hearty local specialty a perfect taste of our next destination.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Ketcham Pinot Noir
Ingredients:
- 4 large sweet or yellow onions
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup German Ruchbier or other dark/smoked beer
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
For serving: Creamy mashed potatoes and, if desired, sauerkraut.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel the onions and slice a small portion from the bottoms so they stand upright. Cut off the tops and reserve.
- Carefully scoop out the centers of the onions, leaving about a ½-inch shell. Finely chop about ½ cup of the removed onion.
- Melt butter in a skillet and sauté the chopped onion until soft. Let cool slightly.
- Combine ground pork, sautéed onion, breadcrumbs, egg, Dijon mustard, parsley, marjoram, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Generously fill each onion with the pork mixture and place in a baking dish.
- Pour broth around the onions. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, pour the smoked beer into the pan and continue baking for another 25–30 minutes, occasionally spooning the pan juices over the onions.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp and crumble.
- Serve each stuffed onion over creamy mashed potatoes, spoon the savory pan sauce over the top and finish with crispy bacon.
From
Bamberg's
famous onions to
Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir—this week's Tasty Tuesday brings a little taste of Franconia to our table as we dream about our 2027 European river cruise. 🇩🇪🍷
“Our river cruise takes us to Würzburg, the heart of Franconian wine country, so this week's Tasty Tuesday combines two things the region loves—bratwurst and wine.”
Pour a glass of Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir alongside this dish, complimenting the richness of the roasted pork while cutting through the crispy, savory crust.
Ketcham Estate's Viognier pairs well with the freshness of Frankfurt's Green Sauce while balancing the richness of the crispy schnitzel.
🥧 Ludwigshafen Stop: German Zwiebelkuchen (German Onion Tart)
Discover an easy Strasbourg-inspired Tarte Flambée paired with Ketcham Estate Savannah’s Rosé di Pinot Noir and our upcoming 2027 river cruise.
Tasty Tuesday: Zürcher Geschnetzeltes with Crispy Rösti (Swiss Veal & Mushroom Cream Sauce over Golden Rösti Potatoes)
Crunchy tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, creamy soups, tomatoes, and melted cheese casserole with a glass of your favorite Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir wine
One of the highlights of river cruising is gathering around the table to enjoy exceptional food, outstanding wines, and unforgettable fellow travelers.
This is a very easy sauce that has evolved over time. Allie makes it weekly for her family and it gets devoured. Allie loves that she can whip it up in less time than it takes to boil the pasta and it can be make with food she typically already has in her kitchen. Allie cheats a little in that she adds a jar of pre-made high quality marinara sauce to the meat. Allie serves the sauce over pasta (the current favorite in her house is Farfalli) with a simple tossed salad and a loaf of frozen garlic bread (like Pepperidge Farm).
This is a family favorite! Even our son Nick who is the pickiest of eaters devours what he affectionately calls Lemon Butt Chicken. I love to bring this to friends when I am helping with a meal train because it is so fast and easy to prepare and I deliver the uncooked meal to my friend and their home smells divine while the chicken is in the oven. It is an easy crowd pleaser and a meal we enjoy weekly.
