Beer Cheese Dip with Soft Pretzel Bites

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Game day! Football Saturdays and Sundays call for hot, cheesy dips and beer, so let’s cut out the middle man and put them together. This easy Beer Cheese Dip with homemade Soft Pretzel Bites can be assembled ahead, baked off when you’re ready, and served right out of the skillet. Homemade soft pretzels are quite simple to make. Yeast doughs can be intimidating at first and knowing when your dough has proofed enough takes a little practice. I prefer to use instant yeast, which I keep in my fridge and freezer to prolong its life and so I always have some on hand! #thegreatyeastshortageof2020

When I was beginning my forays into using yeast when I was *much* younger, I always followed the recipes exactly—and they almost always called for active dry yeast. I had about 50% success with yeast recipes in my early cooking days; now, I know that active dry and instant yeast and be substituted one for one, plus instant yeast doesn’t have to be activated and can be added directly to my dry ingredients with the salt.

This soft pretzel bite recipe is just flour, water, salt, butter, and a little brown sugar. Let the dough rise, form into balls or cylinders or both, and boil in a baking soda-water mixture. Once boiled, add a little pretzel salt on top and bake off until golden and crisp on the outside. They make perfect dippers for this cheesy spread. I arranged some around the outside of my cast-iron skillet and put the dip in the center to bake together, then baked the remaining bites on a sheet pan.Cream cheese is a must for just about any dip—this appetizer also has mozzarella and cheddar for the gooey, melty cheese factor. A little garlic powder, chives, and mustard flavor the dip, and a little flavorful beer adds a yeasty, earthy flavor that plays well with cheese and soft pretzels. I used a Sierra Nevada pale ale, but use whatever you like. You only need a little of the beer, so keep a glass close by for a little cook’s treat!

What’s your favorite football food?

[tasty-recipe id=”39276″]