Beth Braucksieck has been top chef in her kitchen since she was a fourth grader.
Now, after retiring from 31 years of teaching children of the same grade level at Webster Elementary, she
continues to experiment in the kitchen, using whatever she has on hand to create a delicious meal.
"I’ve always been very comfortable in the kitchen," she said. "I like to collect recipes
and download new ones off of Pinterest."
But whether she needs to feed her family or bring a dish to potluck at her church, Lemoyne Baptist, she
knows she can always turn to her mother-in-law’s sauerkraut casserole to do the job.
Braucksieck’s husband, Phil Braucksieck, comes from a "fully German" family, she said.
His mother, Arline Braucksieck, gave Beth Braucksieck the casserole recipe when the couple married in
1979.
Ever since, Beth Braucksieck has gotten constant requests for the dish from church members.
"I take it every Sunday for the church potluck because there are so many who love it," she
said. "If I don’t bring it they ask me why and I say it’s because I’m sick of making it."
But the casserole is easy to fix, filling and delectable, she said, making it a fan favorite.
"It’s a good casserole to have because you have two veggies and meat. All you need is a salad to go
with it," she said. "I used to only make it in the winter for comfort food, but now I make it
all year."
When she’s not cooking or baking, Braucksieck gardens, reads, quilts with the Quilting Eagles and works
as assistant director of the vacation Bible school at church.
But making meals and desserts has always been a big part of her life, even when she was teaching, she
said.
"I always used to tell the kids that math is important in all areas. When you cook, you need to know
fractions and how to adjust them for recipes," she said. "There’s also a lot of science
involved in cooking. You can do a lot of experiments."
A fondness for cooking and baking runs in the family, Braucksieck said.
She helped her mother, who was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis, bake and cook, and passed along her
passion to her son, Ryan Braucksieck.
He and his wife, Ashley Braucksieck, love to cook, she said.
Beth Braucksieck often gets together with her step-daughters for breakfast and makes goodies for when her
grandchildren come to visit, proving that the kitchen is the heart of the home.
"The kids always like coming here because I always make a lot of good food."
Sauerkraut casserole
1 large can sauerkraut drained
1 five pound bag of potatoes – peeled, cooked and mashed as if making mashed potatoes. Store bought
mashed potatoes may be used (3 boxes).
2 pounds browned bulk sausage
Layer large casserole or crockpot with sausage and sauerkraut (first layer leave just a little juice in).
Layer with thin layer of mashed potatoes. Repeat and end with thicker layer of mashed potatoes. Heat
through at 325 degrees or if in crockpot on low for a couple of hours. Feeds 8-12.