Celebrate Dad with Homemade Pretzels & Beer Cheese Sauce

“To a girl, a father is her first love.

To a boy, a father is his first hero.”

From coaching the little league team to showing little ones how to fish to giving the best piggyback rides and even attending pretend tea parties for their little girls, dads play such an important role in our lives.

With Father’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to start planning fun and special ways to celebrate and thank the awesome dads in our lives. One thing that pretty much every dad appreciates is a happy belly so why not treat the dads in your life with a snack they will love! This year, the kids and I are making my husband homemade pretzels with beer cheese sauce for dipping. Yum!  For those craft beer-loving dads, this is truly a perfect gift! Plus, homemade pretzels are a simple recipe that kids can help make as well. They can knead the dough, shape the pretzels, brush on the melted butter, and sprinkle salt on the tops.

Serve the pretzels on a “My Dad is Flippin’ Awesome” cutting board personalized with all the kids names.

And don’t forget dad’s favorite craft beer served in a frosty, personalized “My Favorite People Call Me Dad” glass.  Dad can enjoy the pretzels and beer and then gets to keep his new glasses and cutting board!

Homemade Pretzels with Beer Cheese Sauce Recipe

For Pretzels:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3-3.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts water
• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 tbsp coarse salt, for pretzel top
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted for pretzel top

For Beer Cheese Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• ½ cup milk
• ¾ cup beer (prefer to use a dark ale for more flavor)
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Pretzels:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees and prep two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Add yeast, warm water, and sugar to bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment. Let the yeast mixture sit until it starts to bubble. Add in salt and melted butter and mix on low speed to combine.

Add about 3 cups of flour – 1 cup at a time until mixture forms a ball of dough and is not sticking to the sides of the bowl. Continue to mix dough (or knead) for an additional 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth.  Place a damp towel over the bowl and allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. Once dough has rested, cut into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope – about 20 in long. Shape dough into pretzel shape and set aside.  Repeat with all pretzels.

Over high heat, bring water and baking soda to a bowl in a large pot (water should not come up higher than ¾ of the way up pot). Once the baking soda is dissolved, reduce heat to a low simmer.

Carefully place each pretzel – one at a time – into the baking soda water for 10-15 seconds per side. Carefully transfer pretzel (I use 2 spatulas to lift) to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all pretzels.

Bake pretzels for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.

For the Beer Cheese Sauce:

In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add flour and mix until combined. Whisk in milk and beer and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Mix in shredded cheese and stir until cheese is completely melted and combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Piera Jolly is the founder and editor-in-chief of JollyMom.com, a savvy and popular blog that provides moms with helpful parenting information, fun child-friendly activities, craft ideas, recipes, and the latest trends for moms, kids, and families. JollyMom.com is also proud to have been named a Top 10 Inspiring Blogger by Mashable, a Power Mom by Nielsen and one of Access Communication’s Top 50 Mommy Blogs!