This Super Bowl Sunday I decided to keep things delicious and easy by re-creating a recipe I first saw on Tieghan Gerards blog Half Baked Harvest. I really wanted to make some pretzels and incorporate some of Watermark Brewings beer so i decided to not only add some beer to the cheese but to also incorporate it into the pretzels as well. Perfect for the super bowl but also just perfect for any day in general.
And these couldn’t have turned out any better…
If you haven’t checked out Half Baked Harvest’s blog yet, I recommend you do. She is such and inspiration and has so many mouth watering recipes that its almost hard to choose from.
But when I knew I wanted to make some soft pretzels, I had to get a recipe to work off of from her. These Spinach and Artichoke stuffed pretzels have such an amazing crust on the outside brushed with my absolute favorite flaky sea salt and stuffed to the brim with mozzarella cheese, parmesan, spinach and artichokes. Then when they’re warm fresh out of the oven, I love to rip one apart and drench it in this homemade beer cheese sauce, extra buttery but not too cheesy so it doesn’t mask the flavors from the pretzel. Then the sauce is finished off with some added spice from chopped chipotles in adobo sauce. That extra kick at the end just really sets this duo out of the park.
I mean…really??! The perfect duo.
I ended up running out of the spinach and artichoke stuffing pretty quickly. I guess I made the stuffed pretzels a bit big. So I ended up making the rest without anything in the middle and I have to say, it was tough to choose which I liked better. While the stuffed has the extra cheese I am always looking for, the plain beer flavored pretzels really rose in the oven, creating the perfect pillow of bread.
I mean these things were at least 6 inches high…
With all of that said, these turned out to be the best appetizer to make for a large group of people on Super Bowl Sunday. And I have to admit, I brought them into the brewery so I wouldn’t eat them all and within 10 minutes they were gone. I felt pretty proud.
So if you’re looking for something to snack on, or craving some beer infused foods, I would highly recommend these pretzels and beer cheese, or any Half Baked Harvest recipe for that matter.
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels with Leisure Ale Beer Cheese
Equipment
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Salty Beer Pretzels
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup leisure ale (sub any light beer)
- 8 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups baking soda
- 1 egg beaten
- coarse sea salt
Spinach and Artichoke Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach (thawed & squeezed of excess water)
- 1 (6.7 oz) jar marinated artichokes (chopped)
Beer Cheese Dip
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup light beer
- 12 oz cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (minced)
Instructions
- Combine the water, brown sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes until it bubbles.
- Add the beer, butter, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture and mix on low-speed about 4 minutes until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Spray a large bowl with oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper and salt. Stir in the spinach and artichokes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 and bring a large pot of water to a boil. I use my le cruset dutch oven for an even boil.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal balls and roll them out so they are about a foot long and 2-3 inches wide. Place spinach and artichoke mixture in the center of the rectangle all the way down and roll both sides up pinching at the seams.
- To shape into the pretzel form, lift the two sides of the dough up so the dough makes a U shape. Take the right side and cross it over the left quickly so it twists 1 time around. Place on the table and lift the crossed ends back towards the rounded loop and press into a pretzel shape. Once you have your pretzels shaped, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and boil the pretzels in the water for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through. Try not to overcrowd the pot. Remove the pretzels with a large spatula or slotted spoon and place on a lined baking sheet. Make an egg wash with the egg and 2 tablespoons of water, then brush the tops of the pretzels and sprinkle with the salt. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, bring butter, milk and cream cheese to a low simmer in a deep pan. Dust cheddar cheese with the flour in a separate bowl to coat the cheese. Then add to the milk mixture and stir in the chipotle peppers.
- Remove pretzels from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Serve and with the beer cheese. Enjoy!