Soft Pretzel Bites with Chipotle Queso

Ahhh….. Football season is coming to an end, FINALLY!!  I am not a big football fan at all.  I know sacrelidge.  My family on the other hand lives and breathes Baseball so we are very excited for spring training to be coming to AZ very soon!  Whatever sport you like you always need some delicious snacks when you watch the games.  My kids are obsessed with Pretzels, they can literally hoover down a giant soft pretzel in a minute flat!

I was always intimidated by making pretzels with the time to make the dough, then boiling water and baking.  It seemed all to chaotic to me.  Well after much begging from my kids I decided to make a batch of pretzel bites to take over to our neighbors house for Sunday Funday.  This was our first neighborhood Sunday Funday and it comprised mostly of Football, Wine, Snacking, more Wine, Ping pong and even more yup you guessed it, Wine!  Needless to say it was a super FUN time!  You need a good get together like that with friends every now and then!

So back to these super delicious pretzel bites.  Nothing can really beat fresh bread, the warm pretzel bites dipped in the chipotle queso was addicting.  Obviously this carb onslaught occurred before my foray with Macro Counting because I had quite a few!  And don’t even get me started on the chipotle queso dip, HEAVEN!!!!

The recipe is super simple to follow and I was not intimidated at all by the process.  What was I so afraid of before that stopped my from making these delicious bites of salty doughy goodness?  The rolling and cutting of dough took only about 10 minutes and you boil in batches for 20 seconds each then pop in the oven to bake and Voila they’re done!

With Superbowl coming up shortly you should definitely make a batch or two of these delicious little soft pretzels and chipotle queso.  POP open some beers and route for your favorite team!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 Cups warm water, plus 9 more cups for step 5
• 1 Packet instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, previously melted
• 3.75 – 4.25 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup baking soda
• 1 large egg, beaten
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

Whisk the yeast into 1 and 1/2 cups warm water. Allow to sit for 1 minute.

Add salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Whisk until fairly combined.

In a stand mixer with dough hook attached, slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time.  Mix until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more.

On a lightly floured surface turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, then shape into a ball.

Place in a large greased mixing bowl. I usually use olive oil to grease it.  Cover and let the dough rest in a warm area for about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into 6 sections. Roll the dough into six 20-inch long ropes. Cut the rope into 1.5 inch pieces to make bites.

Combine 9 cups of water and the baking soda in a large pot and bring to a rapid boil. Drop 8-10 pretzel bites into water and let sit for 20 seconds. Remove with a spatula and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the bites aren’t touching.

Brush beaten egg over each pretzel bite. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake batches for 15 minutes each, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and serve with Chipotle Cheese Sauce.

 

Chipotle Queso Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 Cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Chipotle Pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
• salt + pepper to taste

 

Chipotle Queso Directions:

Heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until you see bubbled forming on the top.  Stir as need be to avoid burning.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms (roux), 1 to 2 minutes.

Slowly add the warm milk to the flour roux and butter paste in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. It should be thick but still pourable.

Add the cheese, whisking constantly until it is melted. Add the hot sauce, chipotle pepper and cayenne. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste. Add more cayenne and/or hot sauce if preferred.

The sauce will thicken upon cooling. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Heat over stovetop or in the microwave before serving again