Ta-dah! As promised, carbs and cheese. This killer snack is brought to you courtesy of playoff season. Despite the fact that my interest in any pro sport has faded to basically non-existent, my mind still registers the timing of big games and, apparently, dreams of worthy game day fare. Even though I would rather be playing with the kids, reading, knitting, or some combination of the above, I am more than happy to partake in the the food festivities. And what is more typical football food than beer and pretzels?
I decided to take the classic combo up a notch by making filled pretzel rolls. So many fun filling ideas came to mind while brainstorming but in the end, I made three varieties for testing purposes: jalapeño popper, chorizo, and caramelized onion. (By the way, these are my much improved answer to the former filled pretzel bites, since removed from the site for unreliability. These do require a tiny bit more effort but have a much more consistent and successful outcome.) The fabulous thing about these is that the sky is the limit when it comes to fillings. We dipped these in a beer cheese sauce that was an excellent pairing for all three fillings.
I know that someone will ask about making these ahead of time. I have not tested any make ahead form of this recipe and suspect that, because of the filling factor, these are likely best made fresh. However, if I were going to try making them in advance, I would pull from my previous soft pretzel experience and make these up to the point of filling and shaping, then freeze. Once frozen, I would boil the dough balls directly from the freezer and then add a minute or two to the standard baking time. If you try this, please let me know how it works for you. Make these a part of your weekend plans whether you will be watching the game, in a super cool knitting frenzy, or something even more interesting. They will be a hit regardless!