After two days of “skinny” recipes (cauliflower cheesy bread instead of breadsticks and baked mozzarella sticks instead of fried), today is the splurge day.  Enter pretzels and queso.  I have always bought my pretzels, so I couldn’t  wait to try the pretzel mix the Boardwalk Food Company sent me.  Even better, you pretty much just add beer, boil in water, and bake in oven!  They were so delicious and actually fairly easy to make.  They may not look as great as the picture on the front of the box, but they tasted (I’m sure) just as good!

Pretzels:

1 Box Boardwalk Food Company Original Pretzel Craft Beer Pretzel Mix

Ingredients listed on Box:

6 ounces Beer or any carbonated beverage

2 TBSP Baking Soda

1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, melted

Queso:

1 Can of Original Ro*Tel

16 ounce block of Velveeta

Slice Velveeta into 10 pieces

Place Ro*Tel and velveeta pieces in a crock pot on low setting for an hour

Stir a few times during the hour to combine

While queso is cooking, preheat oven to 425

In a bowl, stir together beer and pretzel mix until combined

On a lightly floured surface, kneed the dough ball for 5-7 minutes

Portion the dough into 6 equal parts

Roll each piece into a round tube and cut into 2 inch sections

Each piece of dough should yield 6 pretzels

Bring 4 cups of water to a simmer in a large pot

Dunk the pretzels into the simmering baking soda water for 5-10 seconds 

The dough will float when ready to be removed

Drain and place on a greased baking sheet

Bake for 7 minutes 

Remove the tray, flip pretzels, and bake for another 6-7 minutes

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt

Serve on the side with queso dip

Stay hungry…