Description
Three cheeses, mustard, beer, and garlic combined to make the ultimate cheesy dip for game days and tailgating. Homemade soft pretzel bites are easy to make—plan ahead to prep the pretzel bites, then bake off when ready to serve the dip!
Ingredients
Scale
SOFT PRETZEL BITES:
- 1–1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons (27 grams) light brown sugar
- 2–1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, melted
- 2–1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4–1/2 to 5 cups (540 to 600 grams) all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl
- 1/3 cup baking soda
- Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
BEER CHEESE DIP:
- 1–3/4 cups (7 ounces) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
- One 8-ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1–1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/3 cup pale ale beer (I used Sierra Nevada)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the soft pretzel bites: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, butter, salt and 4-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until combined, then begin increasing the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. If the dough appears too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead into a ball by hand. Transfer to a lightly oiled mixing bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- In the meantime, make the beer cheese dip: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, chives, garlic powder and beer until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the pretzels.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and slowly add the baking soda.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Using 4 pieces, divide again to form 1-inch balls. With the remaining 4 pieces, roll into a long, thin rope and cut into 1-inch bites. Working in batches, transfer the 1-inch balls to the baking soda-water mixture and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain; transfer to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, placing them around the edges to form a ring (if they won’t all fit in one layer, you can bake them separately with the pretzel bites). Generously sprinkle with pretzel salt. Working in batches with the 1-inch bites, continue the process until all the pretzels have been boiled. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan greased with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Ensure the pretzel bites are spread out evenly and not touching each other.
- Place the prepared dip in the center of the pretzel ring in the cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top. Transfer the dip and the pretzel bites to the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Garnish with more chopped chives before serving. Serve the remaining pretzel bites on the side.
Notes
Inspiration: Beer Cheese Dip on delish.com and Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites on twopeasandtheirpod.com
- Category: Appetizers, Dips, Cheese