If you’ve been following this week, it’s pretty obvious how excited we are for the Broncos to play on Sunday! It’s a big deal in our house and a pretty key ingredient to any NFL Sunday is the game day food and beer.
Today’s pairing of the week is:
Pretzel Bites and Fat Tire Beer Cheese Dip From Scratch
I made this pairing for an Oktoberfest theme birthday for Jordan a couple years back and it was AMAZING. Since then it has been a game day must have! I know it sounds sort of intimidating to make your own pretzel bites, but they are really so simple and delicious! You just will want to read the instructions in advance so you know what to expect and plan for.
This beer cheese dip is also very simple and easy to mess with to make it your own. You can try different cheeses, beers, and seasoning to get the flavor you want. I chose to use New Belgium Fat Tire in the dip because A) It’s a Colorado beer and B) since it’s an amber ale you can really taste the flavor in the dip. If you want a lighter taste you can go with a light beer instead.
I also chose this beer to pair with the dip! It’s a local beer from Fort Collins, Colorado which will always be near and dear to our hearts! Jordan and I both graduated from CSU in Fort Collins, spent our first year of marriage there and loved going to New Belgium Brewery on the weekends. Besides that, this beer is just a really amazing amber ale and of course pairs well since it’s in the dip!
Salty, not too crisp and not too soft pretzel bites. Easy to make and always a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 packet active rise yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp melted unsalted butter- slightly cooled
- 3-4 Cups flour
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- 1/2 Cup baking soda
- 9 Cups water
Instructions
- Whisk the yeast into warm water and let it sit for 1 minute
- Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook attached to a mixer until the dough is thick
- Add ¾ cup more flour until the dough isn’t sticky, then add ¼ cup more as needed. If the dough bounces back when you poke it with your finger (yes like the Pillsbury Dough Boy 😂) that means it’s ready to knead.
- On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 3 minutes and then shape it into a ball. Cover it lightly with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes
- While dough is resting, prepare baking soda water- in a large pot, combine 9 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Bring baking soda water to a boil.
- While water is heating, break off small 2-3” pieces of dough, roll into small cylinders.
- Place 8-10 pretzel bites in the boiling water, boil for 20-30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
- Remove from oven and serve with Beer Cheese Dip ⬇️
Notes
Serve warm with beer cheese dip
warm cheesy dip with an added beer flavor to pair perfectly with pretzel bites and a cold Fat Tire
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1 New Belgium Fat Tire
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Worchestire Sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 16 Oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tsp Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Paprika
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in medium size pot
- Add ¼ Cup milk, whisk
- Add 4 oz cream cheese and about 2/3 of beer, whisk continuously
- Add 8 oz of cheddar cheese, whisk continuously until melted, then add remainder 8 oz of cheese and whisk continuously
- Add remainder of beer, worchestire sauce, dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper
- Transfer to small crockpot to keep dip warm
- Serve immediately with Pretzel Bites, a cold New Belgium Fat Tire and a Sunday Bronco game 🧡🏈💙
Notes
Serve with warm pretzel bites from scratch