It probably goes without saying that, if you're a beer lover, you're probably going to raise a stein or two (or three) at an upcoming Oktoberfest celebration.

But the annual celebration of all things German isn't just about the beer.

Oktoberfest is also a great time of year to fill up on traditional German foods like schnitzel and beer pretzels.

These two recipes from the Post-Gazette archives are a good place for the home cook to start. Guten appetit!

Schnitzel With Mushroom Sauce and Potato Salad

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Schnitzels are made with super-thin cutlets of meat — usually pork or veal — which are breaded and then fried. Here it's served with an optional mushroom gravy and warm and tangy German potato salad.

For potato salad

24 ounces petite Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon

3/4 cup finely chopped red or white onion

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced chives or green onion, for garnish

For schnitzel

4 boneless pork steaks or boneless chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour combined with 1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup plain or panko breadcrumbs

5 tablespoons butter, divided

For mushroom sauce

1 cup diced onions

1 pound thinly sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Prepare potato salad: Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with salted water. Bring water to boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and slice into 1/4 -inch rounds.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once crisp, place on a paper towel-lined plate and crumble into small pieces. Reserve about 1/4 cup of rendered fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add onions. Cook until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes.

Whisk in vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt, and stir until thick and bubbly. Add sliced, cooked potatoes and toss to coat; keep warm.

Prepare schnitzel: Place pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer until they're just 1/4 -inch thick. Lightly season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the flour mixture, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip chops in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, coating both sides and all edges at each stage. Gently shake off excess crumbs.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add schnitzel, making sure not to crowd them. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until schnitzel is cooked through. (You may have to add additional butter.) Transfer to a plate and season both sides with salt and pepper. Cover them to keep warm.

Make sauce: Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat.

Add onions and saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes.

Stir in broth and wine, loosening any browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and parsley. If sauce is too thin, let simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add schnitzel to warm them through.

Just before serving, top potato salad with the crumbled bacon and garnish with chives.

Serve potato salad warm with schnitzel and mushroom sauce.

Serves 4.

— adapted from "German Meals at Oma's" by Gerhild Fulson

Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dip

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These pretzels take a minute, but are essential for any Oktoberfest celebration. I used a brown ale from Lost in the Wilds Brewing near Clarion. Made with a mix of cheddar and Gouda, the sauce starts out thin but thickens as it cools.

For pretzels

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 packet of active dry yeast

1 cup pilsner, kolsch, wheat beer or amber

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups pastry flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, for greasing bowl

2 quarts of water for boiling pretzels

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup baking soda

Kosher or pretzel salt for sprinkling

For cheese dip

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup beer

1/2 cup whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash of smoked paprika

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1 cup shredded smoked Gouda

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Start by warming the water and then pour it into the bowl of a stand-up mixer equipped with a dough hook.

Add brown sugar and packet of yeast and mix on slow until the sugar is dissolved. Allow 5-6 minutes for the yeast to begin feeding on the sugar.

Meanwhile, warm beer in a small pan over medium heat. Melt the stick of butter in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

Add melted butter, warmed up beer, salt and the two types of flour to the activated yeast and begin mixing on low.

After about 3 minutes, turn up the speed to medium. Once the dough pulls away from the mixing bowl, stop the mixer, take it out and place it onto a lightly floured surface.

Using your hands, form a ball and place it inside a well-greased glass bowl. Grease the dough ball and cover the bowl well before you let it rest in a warm area. Wait until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Once the dough has doubled, take it out and divide it in half, then divide each again and again until you have 16 pieces.

Roll out each piece into a log and use scissors to snip the sides and create a pine tree shape from each log. You also can fold the dough ropes into twists or braids, or cut them into nuggets.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and bring a pot of water to a boil.

Make an egg wash by beating the egg well.

Once the water is boiling slowly, add baking soda. Immerse each pretzel piece into the water for about 45 seconds, making sure it gets coated with boiling water all over.

Take out with a slotted spoon, carefully pat dry with a paper towel before setting down onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. (If you want darker pretzels, add more baking soda. If you don't want your pretzels too brown, add less.)

Once you have all the pretzels ready, brush with the egg wash and season liberally with kosher or pretzel salt.

Place them in the oven and bake until they begin to turn brown, approximately 20 minutes.

While pretzels are baking, prepare beer cheese dip.

Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and whisk until completely combined. Cook for 1 minute, then add beer, milk, Dijon, Worcestershire and smoked paprika. Whisk until smooth.

Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened (and has nearly reached a simmer). Add cheeses and whisk until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed, Reduce heat to low, and keep warm until serving. (Dip will thicken as it cools.)

Serve warm pretzels with warm dip.

Makes 16 large pretzels.

— Craftbeering.com